


Unseen Melodies

by punkerbones



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Electrum, F/M, MtMtE spoilers, TFOC - Freeform, TFOCs - Freeform, maccadam - Freeform, sparkling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2019-01-06 19:45:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12217668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkerbones/pseuds/punkerbones
Summary: A writing for the wonderful Katie, featuring their interesting OC Electrum and their relationship with Damus. It follows Electrum and Damus through Damus’s eventual transformation into Tarn, as well as well as the trials that Electrum must face as she tries to see if there is any part of Damus left behind the mask of Tarn.





	Unseen Melodies

Optics flicking around quickly as she glanced around, Electrum took a few more cautious steps into the dimly lit room. Her cerulean optics glowed in the faint light, and she walked a bit further. She wasn’t sure it was entirely safe to call out to the mech she was supposed to meet here, and was hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of him, instead. But still, there was nothing.

It was only when she was almost ready to whisper their name that Electrum felt it. A faint, almost ghost of a touch against the wings that adorned her back. Startling, she whirled around, concern and worry that she had been followed gripping her spark.

Even though the expression that greeted her was missing a great many features that would have conveyed it, Electrum immediately recognized it. A wide, blue optic set against pitch black plating and within a helm of faded crimson. The mech reflexively backed up, his hands held up in as least a threatening manner as possible, the action being all too familiar for him when it came to being able, or rather, allowed, to touch others.

“Damus! You almost scared me half to death,” Electrum gasped, a giggle faintly lacing her response.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said hurriedly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just trying to get your attention, is all.”

Relaxing and smiling at her friend, Electrum quickly shook her helm, wings flicking briefly.

“Don’t apologize. I just wasn’t expecting you to be able to sneak up on me like that,” she replied with a smirk. Turning, she glanced around the room, now feeling a bit more confident that her friend was with her. “What music did you have picked out for us this evening?”

“It’s a new album,” Damus admitted, fiddling with his digits. It was an action that would help him keep his hands to himself, at least, for the time being. He looked back up at Electrum, and even if he was missing his facial features, the femme could still see a glint of sheepish hopefulness in his optic. “I found it rather soothing, so I hope you’ll like it.”

“I’m sure I will,” Electrum assured, reaching over and carefully clasping one of Damus’s hands with her own. “You’ve had impeccable taste in music so far.”

Pausing for a moment to appreciate the fact that Electrum didn’t fear his presence or his touch, Damus made a quiet noise of acknowledgment before nodding. This was one of the times he wished he could smile, to simply show how much he valued Electrum’s company without words, but, unfortunately, such things were not to be. Instead, he had to settle for lightly patting her hand with his free one, before reluctantly parting and walking over to the small control panel for the sound system of the room.

The room itself had once been a sort of socializing room, and still had a few tables, now covered, as well as a couple of chairs meant for relaxing and reclining. What was truly of note, though, was the sound system that had been left in good working condition. It had provided both Damus and Electrum a secret meeting place; one where they could be alone and left to enjoy each other’s company. An enjoyment for them that was beyond the condescending and prejudiced views and actions of others. It was something that both treasured far more than either was able to currently admit.

Tapping in a few, quick commands, Damus looked around briefly as he waited for the music to start playing. Sure enough, the soft, almost haunting, melody began to waft out of the speakers that lined the square room. Straightening his posture and giving an approving nod, Damus turned back to Electrum, who was standing with her optics shuttered and helm tilted at a slight angle so she could hear the music a little better.

Watching and waiting hopefully, Damus began fiddling with his digits reflexively once again, wanting to see what Electrum’s reaction would be. After a few moments, one of Electrum’s optics opened and she smiled mischievously at Damus.

“Well, aren’t you going to ask me to dance?” she inquired teasingly.

Perking up, single optic glowing a bit brighter at the realization, Damus made a short noise and regained his composure. He promptly strode over to Electrum and bowed, holding out one of his hands in offering.

“Forgive my terrible manners, my dear Electrum,” the outlier proclaimed, making the gesture overall quite dramatic. “May I have this dance?”

“Yes. Yes, you may,” Electrum giggled, taking Damus’s hand and stepping closer to the mech.

Letting his free hand settle on Electrum’s hip, while her other hand rested on his shoulder, Damus looked down at the femme as they began to slowly waltz around the room. He marvelled at how much of a contrast there was between them. He was an empurata victim, now devoid of any facial features, and his ability for expressions reduced to almost nothing. Electrum, on the other hand, was a femme of pearl-white and gold, her features delicate and unmarred. The fact that she didn’t fear Damus, or rather, the deadly Ability that he possessed, still baffled the mech beyond words.

“Your taste in music remains impeccable,” Electrum commented quietly, leaning against Damus lightly.

Ventilation catching slightly, Damus nodded and continued to guide Electrum around in a slow waltz. He tilted his helm to the side, digit tips lightly grazing against the femme’s hip. The music around them began to crescendo, and Damus took a step back and twirled Electrum slowly before pulling her back to him. Again, he found himself wishing he could smile down at the femme, but instead opted to lightly rest his forehelm against her own.

“So glad to hear it. Hopefully, it stays that way.”

“I’m sure it will,” Electrum stated with a nod.

After a few moments of enjoying the music and letting it fade into the next song, Damus looked back down at Electrum and tilted his helm to the side. It had always been agreed, for both their sakes, that they could only be together for the entirety of three songs. But now...maybe, maybe just one more song? He gently brushed the femme’s hip to get her attention, and with a quiet noise, she looked back up at the outlier.

“Any chance you could stay for just one extra song?” Damus asked imploringly. Again, he wished he could provide some sort of reassuring smile. “Just one song. I-”

“Damus, you know-”

“Just one song. It’ll even be a shorter song, I promise-”

“Damus, you know if I stay, Alpha Trion will be furious. We could get caught-”

“We can find a new place to meet up, Electrum.”

“You know that we wouldn’t be allowed to meet up ever again.”

Falling quiet, his paces slowing, Damus looked away with a heavy sigh, pulling Electrum back to him and resting his forehelm against her own. Giving the outlier an apologetic look, the femme reached up and stroked Damus’s helm gently, trying to wordlessly convey to him that she wasn’t happy about not being able to stay a little longer, either.

“I know,” Damus murmured. “I just...it’s frustrating beyond words. I don’t get to see you as often as I’d like.”

“I know.” Electrum looked up at the mech shyly. “I can say the same for you.”

Unable to smile, Damus mustered up a chuckle and shuffled a little sheepishly. It was then that he noticed they were on the third, and final, song. Ventilating a long, sad sigh, Damus nuzzled what was left of his face against Electrum’s, appreciating the fact that she didn’t shy away nor did she recoil. In response, Electrum reached up and stroked the outlier’s helm, her digit tips tracing along the outlines of the armor.

“Well, at least...I will be able to see you again, right?” Damus inquired hopefully. “For another three songs?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

* * *

 

Electrum hadn’t been able to help but to keep her soft smile as she left the socializing room, humming one of the songs to herself quietly as she went. Her footfalls were lighthearted and the femme was off in her own little world as she approached the lift that brought her down to the lower levels where the abandoned social room was. She was far enough into her thoughts that when the lift doors slid open, it caught her by complete surprise to see none other than Alpha Trion standing in it, his narrow gaze looking down at her closely.

With a startled gasp, Electrum took a step back, but promptly remembered herself and regained her composure. Standing up straight before giving a respectful bow, the femme turned her attention back to the taller mech, attempting to appear as nonchalant as possible even though she was in a location that she normally would never frequent.

“Problems, Electrum?” Alpha Trion asked, raising a helm ridge in suspicion.

“Not at all, sir,” she replied quickly. “You just...startled me a little. I thought that I was alone down here.”

“Yes, down here,” the mech commented, looking around in mild disgust at the abandoned area before turning his attention back to Electrum. “Which begs the question, what were you _doing_ down here? There hardly seems anything of interest down here. Or anyone, for that matter.”

Ages of practice kept Electrum from betraying her surprise at Alpha Trion’s last statement, something she was incredibly grateful for at the moment. She managed a weak smile and a shrug before answering.

“Just wanted a little bit of time to myself, is all,” she lied. Under normal circumstances she would feel guilty for lying, particularly to Alpha Trion of all mechs, but these were hardly normal circumstances.

“And you chose _here_?” came the disbelieving reply.

“It’s quiet and nobody knows about it, really,” Electrum explained, watching Alpha Trion’s reaction as closely as she could. “It allows me to collect my thoughts and-”

“There are far more savory places to spend your free time,” Alpha Trion interrupted tersely with a wave of his hand.

Realizing that she had pushed her luck as far as she could right now, Electrum fell silent, her gaze drifting to the floor.

“Nevermind,” Alpha Trion said in exasperation. “Let’s get you out of the dreary place and back to where you belong.”

 

* * *

 

As time went on, Damus did finally get a fourth song and dance with Electrum. And then a fifth. And a sixth. Their dances became closer, somehow more intimate, the femme never afraid of the deadly Ability that the outlier possessed. And Damus found himself putting more and more effort and time into picking out the songs that they would listen to, trying to appeal to Electrum’s preferences as best he could.

So, at the end of the sixth song during one of their encounters, Damus was more overjoyed than surprised, when Electrum leaned up and gently kissed him. The action was something that the outlier could barely remember, so many had recoiled away from him, not even wanting the most innocent of touches from his lethal hands. But Electrum…

“Thank you,” Damus whispered softly, nuzzling his face against Electrum’s.

“Was...a little worried that you might not like it,” the femme admitted, a bit of fluster rushing to her face.

“No, no, quite the opposite. Was really nice.”

“Then have another,” Electrum whispered, leaning forward to repeat the kiss.

Chuckling in contentment, Damus made a soft purr from his vocalizer and shuttered his one optic for the moment. He hugged Electrum close, their dance slowing to a soft sway as he held her against his warm frame. They were barely aware of the music fading, and Damus wouldn’t have said anything until he felt Electrum shiver a little in his embrace.

Pulling back a little, the outlier studied the femme’s expression, noticed a sense of worry, and tilted his helm to the side inquisitively. He stroked her helm gently, trying to soothe whatever upset was bothering her.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s…” Electrum drifted off, not entirely sure that she wanted to admit what was bothering her. Finally, though, she opted to say what it was, rather than risk Damus’s ignorance getting them in trouble. “It’s Alpha Trion. I worry that he’s starting to become suspicious of my absences at times.”

Immediately bristling, Damus narrowed his optic, feeling his frame stiffen and an almost reflexive action to try and...well, to try and break something. He immediately forced back the reaction, however, for the sake of Electrum, and instead tried to get a hold on his temper. It wasn’t exactly a secret that he didn’t approve of the other mech, and the fact that they now appeared to be threatening the scant time that Damus had with Electrum only made it worse.

“Don’t...don’t worry about it too much,” Electrum quickly followed up with, noticing the outlier’s reaction. She caressed the side of Damus’s helm, trying to get his focus back on her. “I just have to be careful for a little while until his suspicions ease. It should be fine.”

“Don’t get yourself into trouble on my account,” Damus replied, keeping his voice firm but soft.

“I won’t. I’ll be careful. I promise.”

As if to add sincerity to her words, Electrum leaned in and gave the outlier another kiss, this time letting it linger. Unable to help himself, Damus held onto her a little tighter, as though he could somehow will away the threat that Alpha Trion posed to everything about this moment. Finally, reluctantly, the outlier eased his hold and leaned back so that he could study the femme, hoping to see that her worry had been calmed.

“Promise?”

“I promise. I know what to watch out for and how to make sure he doesn’t get suspicious any further.”

Though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was, there was a small, but definite, sense of dread gnawing at Damus’s spark. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact that Electrum had to leave soon, or something that could lead to far, far worse.

“Alright. I want to believe you, and I do, to a larger extent,” Damus replied with a soft sigh. “Just _please_ be careful. I-” The outlier cut himself off, not entirely sure if he should proceed with the admittance, but worried that he would regret not saying it aloud.

Noticing the silence, Electrum tilted her helm to the side inquisitively. She reached up and lightly caressed Damus’s helm, trying to wordlessly get his attention back to her. It hadn’t been her intent to have the last moments of this meeting be so grim and seem so foreboding, but she couldn’t have simply left Damus in the dark about the situation with Alpha Trion, either.

“I can’t lose you,” Damus finally admitted, his voice a hoarse whisper.

The words appeared to surprise Electrum, but she just as quickly softened, a gentle smile on her lips as she continued to stroke the outlier’s helm. She leaned against Damus, more or less cuddling against him, focusing, for the moment, on the faint sound of his spark pulses and the warm embrace he quickly wrapped her in. Shuttering her optics, Electrum hummed quietly, letting a hand rest against the mech’s chassis, silently wishing that they could simply stay like this and didn’t have to part.

“You won’t lose me. I’ll always return to you,” she promised. She then smiled and looked up at Damus, kissing him once again. “But you know that the same goes for you, correct? I can’t lose you, either, so I want you to promise that you’ll be careful and take care of yourself, too.”

Nodding in silent agreement, Damus reluctantly let Electrum go, again wishing that he could at least provide some sort of assuring smile.

“I promise,” he stated solemnly, leaning down in for their last kiss of the evening.

 

* * *

 

He was late.

Why was he late? Had something happened? Had he been caught?

Was he okay?

Electrum tried to calm her nerves as she paced slowly around the room. She had already promised herself that she would give Damus fifteen more minutes to arrive, and then she would _have_ to leave, no matter how badly she may have wanted to stay.

Of course, that was over thirty minutes ago…

Debating on whether or not to try and go find him, to ensure that he was at least okay and hadn’t been apprehended for trying to get into a place that he shouldn’t be, Electrum finally decided that she could be mad at him for being tardy later. For now, she just wanted to make sure that he wasn’t damaged...or worse.

With a sigh, she pivoted and turned to leave the room, stopping when she saw Damus, appearing perfectly fine and in good health, standing in the doorway. Whatever worry she may have had dissipated to a degree and Electrum narrowed her optics, crossing her arms and giving Damus a disapproving glare.

“You had me worried sick. I was just about to leave to try and find you,” she stated flatly.

Appearing surprised at the reaction and Electrum’s anger, Damus made a soft chuckle and walked over to the femme, offering his hands in a sort of apology. His field practically radiated excitement, and given all that he had learned in their time apart, Damus couldn’t remain upset that Electrum was cross with him.

“I’m sorry. Please, don’t be mad,” the outlier apologized. “I assure you that I have a perfectly good explanation for me being late.”

Still a mix of relieved that Damus was okay, and upset that he had been so late and that it would cost their precious time together, Electrum decided not to answer. Not verbally, anyways. Instead, she tapped her index digit against her forearm and quirked a helm ridge expectantly, her wings fluttering rapidly behind her. Damus made another chuckle, albeit this one a bit more nervous, and began gesturing with his hands as he spoke.

“I came across one of the most wonderful and impressive pieces of literature that-well, that I’ve ever read!” the outlier explained, once again barely able to contain his obvious excitement. “It’s called ‘ _Towards Peace_ ’ and it’s written by-”

“Megatron. I’ve heard of it.”

“Have you read it?” Damus exclaimed, reaching over and carefully grabbing Electrum by the shoulders. “Please tell me that you have. I could go on endlessly about how well it’s written and the ideals that it puts forward. I got so caught up reading it that I, ah, well...I lost track of time.”

“I’ve read a few excerpts,” Electrum stated, her tone still rather flat. If she was going to be perfectly honest with herself, she was more than a little hurt that Damus was late due to _reading a book by a Decepticon_ , of all things. It showed in her unwavering posture, rather displeased look, and the fact that she was hardly sharing in Damus’s excitement over the whole ordeal. “So you’re late because you were reading a book?”

As though finally realizing how far he had upset the femme, Damus stood in front of her in silence, hands at his side. He tilted his helm to the side and seemed to struggle for words for a moment, as he hadn’t been expecting this sort of reaction. He’d been so caught up in his excitement over the work of literature that he hadn’t really anticipated Electrum’s reaction. And _especially_ not for her to be this angry with him.

“I’m sorry. I truly am,” Damus said, calming both his field and his tone, adding more sincerity to his voice. He held out his hand one more time in offering to Electrum, silently imploring her to take it. “Allow me to make it up to you next time. And I’ll be far more punctual from now on. I promise. I just got...truly excited to read such an outstanding piece of work that felt like it spoke straight to my spark.”

Now seeming a bit perplexed at to _how_ enthused Damus was, Electrum ventilated a long sigh and took the outlier’s hand lightly. There was no point in staying mad at him, and he had both apologized for his tardiness and promised not to do a repeat. Not to mention there was no need to be cruel and completely dampen his excitement.

“Thank you,” Damus said, tapping the front edge of his helm to the top of Electrum’s hand in a ‘kiss’ before gently pulling her closer.

Relaxing and managing a small smile, the femme didn’t resist, looking up at Damus before glancing around the room. She made a soft laugh and tilted her helm to the side, appearing somewhat amused that the outlier had completely forgotten about turning on any music. His excitement about ‘ _Towards Peace_ ’ had been irritating at first, then a little amusing, but now was starting to prove a little unnerving. Electrum had seen others get excited about their favorite book or poem or what have you, but this, especially for the discovery of the writing to be so new, was rather unprecedented.

“Oh! Right, right,” Damus exclaimed, as though realizing what he had forgotten to do. “Just a moment…”

Quickly darting over to the sound machine, Damus started to tap in a few commands, his field still rippling with elation. Actually, it seemed almost...too much. It began to feel somewhat funny and the air began to feel heavier, like a thick blanket of fog or smoke that was slowly seeping into Electrum’s systems and frame. The outlier seemed blissfully unaware, tapping commands in, even as the air continued to get heavier and thicker.

“Damus?” Electrum asked suddenly, alarm in her voice as she realized what could very well be happening. “Damus, are you okay?”

The answer came in a spray of sparks from the sound machine, causing Damus to yelp and jump back, as the entire thing seemed to backfire on itself. Even though it hadn’t been completely powered on, it behaved as though it had been given a massive jolt of power that had ripped through its frame and dismantled it from the inside out. Electrum had made a stifled cry as she’d leapt back herself, taken by surprise of the sudden eruption of power, before slowly turning her gaze to Damus.

He was now very, very still, simply standing where he had landed, gaze fixated on the now destroyed sound machine. Even his hand, which now trembled, was still somewhat in midair, as though he couldn’t quite comprehend what had just happened. Whatever words he could have come up with were completely stuck in his vocalizer, unable to formulate.

“Damus?” Electrum finally asked, reaching out with a hand to try and gently pull the mech back to reality.

As though realizing that the femme was drawing close, the outlier looked back at her with alarm and immediately withdrew. He tried to put as much distance as he could between himself and her, even going so far as to lean back away from her.

“Don’t!” he cried, even as he put every ounce of focus he had on ensuring that his Ability remained in check. It had been ages since he’d slipped up, and was something that he thought he wouldn’t have to worry about again. “I-don’t. Just...don’t. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t,” Electrum said, keeping her voice gentle. “It was just an accident, Damus. I know you won’t hurt me.”

Even without facial features, the mech’s distress was still quite obvious, but Electrum maintained her smile and still took a small step towards him. She didn’t want to upset him any more than he obviously was, but it broke her spark to see him in such straits. Still holding out her hand, she shuffled forward until she was able to tentatively set it on his shoulder.

“I didn’t…”

“I know. It’s okay,” the femme assured, a little more relaxed now that Damus was letting her approach him. Her smile widened a small degree, and she gave a small nod. “It’s alright. I’m sure we can fix it next time.”

Though he wanted to argue that it wasn’t okay. That he shouldn’t have made a mistake like that, Damus felt humiliation burn at him and he cautiously leaned against Electrum. Ventilating a long sigh of relief when she embraced him, he buried his ‘face’ against the side of her neck. He tried not to focus on his mistake too much, worried that it would detract from his concentration. In fact, the outlier only pulled himself from his thoughts when he felt Electrum stroke the back of his helm reassuringly.

“How about you tell me a little more about ‘ _Towards Peace_ ’, then, hm?” Electrum offered gently.

With a small, weak laugh, Damus nodded, feeling a sense of comfort from both Electrum’s presence and her offer.

“Thank you, my heaven,” he whispered, a tone of reverence on the last word.

 

* * *

 

Though she had initially planned to be bored out of her mind listening to Damus, Electrum found herself unable to hide her smile as the mech had become more and more animated and excited as he kept talking more and more about ‘ _Towards Peace_ ’. She was seated on the edge of one of the tables, after having dusted it off, her ankles crossed as she slowly swung her legs. Her wings flitted intermittently, and every now and then she would nod her helm to let Damus know that she was still listening.

“-and then, when he wrote about how we should rise above-” Damus stopped, as though realizing that he was talking quite fast and had been for a while. He folded his hands behind his back, slouching a bit sheepishly while looking away. “Ah, my apologies. I didn’t realize that I...was talking so much.”

“No, no,” Electrum giggled, leaning back on her hands. She favored Damus with an adoring smile. “You were rather cute being that enthusiastic about the book.”

Pretending to feign hurt, Damus slouched and shook his helm. He then looked back up at Electrum with a hopeful gleam in his one optic, shifting his weight from one pede to the other.

“Only ‘cute’?” he repeated. “I wasn’t anything like...impressive or amazing?”

Her giggles fading, Electrum smiled softly, her expression taking on a more gentle and loving tone. Her wings relaxed against her back, her legs slowing their swinging.

“You were all three.”

Studying the femme for what seemed like the longest moment, Damus let his gaze slowly go over Electrum’s frame. The perfect gleam of her armor, the glow of her wings and optics, and the impossible to resist, inviting, and loving smile that rested on her lips. He felt his frame warm reflexively, and, after a moment of hesitation, Damus walked towards her, keeping his pace deliberately slower than normal. To her credit, Electrum didn’t shy away, and instead favored the mech with a curious look, though her smile never faded.

“No, my heaven,” Damus whispered, letting his hand lightly rest on Electrum’s knee, giving her the chance to move away, even though she never did. “ _You_ are impressive and amazing.”

“Hmmn,” Electrum sighed contentedly, scooting forward just enough to coax Damus to move his hand up along her leg. She let her ankles unhook from each other, a shudder going through her frame when Damus’s other hand found her other leg, and both of the mech’s hands began to drift up along her thighs. She then gave the outlier a teasing, soft giggle. “But what about cute?”

“You’re beautiful,” Damus answered breathlessly without missing a beat.

“Flatterer,” Electrum giggled, though the laughter quickly dissipated into a soft moan as Damus’s hands moved up even further.

“I only speak the truth.”

Damus’s voice had dropped to a low, silky tone, and Electrum felt a shiver run through her spinal strut. Almost subconsciously, she let her legs slip apart, arching her back a slight degree when Damus let one hand glide up and grip her hip, while the other rested on her lower back.

“Damus…”

Her frame radiated inviting heat, and Damus made a soft groan as he felt a tensity begin to grow in his lower midsection. The scent of the femme was practically intoxicating, and he couldn’t help but tug her closer, bringing her interface panel closer to his own. His ventilation was picking up, and another shudder of anticipation rippled through his frame.

They had never interfaced before, though it had come up briefly as a topic of discussion a couple of meetings prior. Damus had been reluctant, given that it would involve him losing control, even if it was a brief moment. That and Electrum had been concerned of them being caught, which would have damned them both. But now…

Oh, now…

Now Damus wanted nothing but Electrum. To touch her, sense her, hear her, _feel_ her.

“Did...did you want to?” Damus asked softly, another groan thrumming from him as he felt Electrum lift her hips up slowly to meet his.

“Y-yes,” she whispered earnestly. “Yes. I’m yours. I’ve always been yours. Take-”

The sudden sound of elevator doors sliding open, followed by the clatter of metal, and, most alarming, the sound of Alpha Trion cursing the errant piece of metal, was more than enough to snap them both out of their enamored stupor. Both their postures snapped straight, and they exchanged panicked looks before Electrum shook her helm quickly. She began frantically motioning for Damus to run away, looking over her shoulder to see if Alpha Trion was in the room.

“Go, go!” she hissed quietly. “I’ll contact you later!”

Obviously reluctant to leave Electrum, worried about what possible anger Alpha Trion could visit upon her, Damus struggled for a moment before pivoting and darting off into the shadows. He mentally swore that, should he ever be able to, he would let Alpha Trion know _exactly_ what Damus thought of them.

Dusting herself off quickly as she worked to get her composure back just as fast, Electrum slid off the table and walked quickly over to the entrance of the room that she used. Her thoughts raced as she tried to work out what she would say to Alpha Trion, how she could keep him from wanting to investigate further so as to give Damus as much time as possible to escape.

She turned the corner quickly...and almost crashed straight into Alpha Trion.

The larger mech startled and took a step back quickly, his optics narrowing at the sight of Electrum. The femme promptly shuffled back, immediately standing up straight and giving a respectful bow. She could feel the suspicion and anger wafting from Alpha Trion’s field, but Electrum didn’t dare say anything in regards to it. It would only serve to infuriate Alpha Trion further.

“Electrum. I would say what an unexpected surprise to see you here, but the only reason I’m down here in this dusty, decrepit storage room is to find you,” Alpha Trion said, disdain dripping from his voice. “So, instead, I will ask _why_ are you down here?”

“I...just wanted some peace and quiet, sir,” Electrum answered quietly, keeping her gaze averted from Alpha Trion’s. “I had been feeling a little...overwhelmed, as of late.”

“Is that so? Are you unaware of the facilities offered to those of your pedigree and status?” Alpha Trion asked, knowing good and well what the answer should and would be.

“I am, sir,” Electrum replied, her voice going quieter with each passing moment. “I just...found them to be a little stuffy, sir.”

“You found them to be-” Something caught Alpha Trion’s gaze and he narrowed his optics, seeing a few sparks flicker off in the dark of the room. He pushed passed a questioning Electrum, walking towards the source of the sparks.

“Sir? Sir what’s…” Electrum drifted off as she turned, and began to realize what Alpha Trion had seen. The sound system control panel. The _destroyed_ sound system control panel. The one that _Damus_ had destroyed. “...wrong?”

“What is this?” Alpha Trion asked, glowering down at the destroyed panel. He reached down and moved aside some of the more fried and broken pieces with his index digit as though one would a dead animal.

“It’s...an old sound system control panel,” Electrum said slowly, trying to be very careful with her words so as to not implicate Damus. “Sir.”

“I can see _that_ ,” Alpha Trion answered angrily, looking back to Electrum. He straightened his posture, but didn’t move from the panel. Instead, he jabbed his index digit at the broken control system. “I’ve seen that _sort_ of work before, Electrum. I know who, or rather, _what_ can do that.”

Feeling dread wash over her, Electrum held her ground, not wanting to give away any sort of wordless hint that Alpha Trion was correct. She glanced around briefly, but then let her gaze go back to Alpha Trion. The mech glared back at her, as though awaiting an answer. The silence was just as bad, if not worse, than Alpha Trion’s glare. Allowing herself a brief expression, a ghost of upset, Electrum then looked back to the mech and shook her helm slowly.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to, sir.”

“Oh, but I believe you do, Electrum,” Alpha Trion said, striding over to the femme until he was towering over her. His gaze was cold and merciless, and the mech couldn’t help but inwardly smirk when he saw Electrum cower back. “Don’t you?”

“I do not, sir,” Electrum lied, keeping her gaze looking up meekly at Alpha Trion.

Again, there was a cold, stagnant silence that made Electrum want to flee back to her quarters. But she knew better. Not only would that be an admission of guilt, but it would put Damus at great peril of being pursued, found, and… Electrum didn’t want to think about what would happen afterwards.

“I do not believe you,” Alpha Trion finally stated. He then gave a slow sigh of irritation, looking away as he did so. “Unfortunately, I do not have any proof that you are actually fraternizing with such debase filth that could do that sort of damage. However, should I ever get such proof, and if you see them again, I will, you will both _dearly_ regret ever meeting each other.”

That was enough to make Electrum cringe back a slight degree with wide optics, and Alpha Trion just gave a nod, knowing that he had been understood. He then brushed by Electrum as he headed back to the elevator, leaving the femme to stare in mute horror at the broken sound system control panel. Icy dread gnawed at her spark as she stood still, blank gaze looking forward.

“I expect you to accompany me, Electrum,” Alpha Trion stated firmly.

Startling out of her thoughts, Electrum pivoted quickly and promptly followed Alpha Trion to the elevator. Panic and dread continued to eat at her spark, and she knew that she would have to have a very solemn, possibly heartbreaking, talk with Damus. And soon.

 

* * *

 

The fact that Electrum contacted him so soon sent a chill down Damus’s frame, worry immediately gnawing at him that something had happened to her. He hesitated for a brief moment, trying to brace himself for the worst, before answering.

_::Electrum?::_

_::Yes, Damus. It’s...it’s me.::_

_::What happened? Are you alright? Did Alpha Trion harm you?::_ Damus inquired quickly, trying to keep his voice steady over the private frequency. _::Did he-::_

 _::I’m fine, Damus,::_ Electrum interrupted gently. She ventilated a long sigh and glanced towards the closed door of her room. Yes, the frequency was secured and the line itself was private, but she still had a nagging fear of Alpha Trion suddenly barging in and demanding to know who she was speaking to. _::Just…::_

The last word made Damus’s spark go cold, and he waited for what seemed like an eternity before gently coaxing Electrum to continue.

_::Just…?::_

_::...we may not be able to see each other again, Damus. Not for a long time.::_

The cold wrapped around Damus’s spark dropped to a painful, icy barb that stabbed through his lifeforce and seemed to drain away all sense of strength from him. His voice snagged in his vocalizer, thoughts beginning to race until he felt dizzy, and Damus reached over to grab the edge of his berth to steady himself. Fortunately, he was alone at the moment, having darted to his quarters upon recognizing who the communications hail had come from.

_::How-how long?::_

_::I honestly don’t know, Damus,::_ Electrum answered, her voice tight and quiet. _::You didn’t see him, though. He’s definitely suspicious about what’s going on between us. I don’t think he knows it’s_ you _, but if we’re not careful...he will. And then…::_

His sudden absence of strength was replaced by the same, smoldering anger that the outlier felt towards Alpha Trion, and Damus forced himself to keep his focus, simply for the sake of Electrum. As of right now, he couldn’t care less about the rest of his surroundings, and, again, he was fortunately alone. His digit tips dug in against the berth, and the mech ventilated a long, hissed sigh before he spoke again.

_::Right. What-what do you want to do now?::_

There was a long pause as Electrum thought over the question, not sure how to answer. Her spark ached to see Damus again, even if it was just one last time, but she was terrified of leading him to possible harm at the hands of Alpha Trion...or worse. Then again, perhaps if they met at a different time, just this once, they could…

 _::I want to see you again,::_ Electrum finally whispered, sounding almost afraid that Damus would refuse. _::And then, we’ll have to-have to not see each other for-for quite a while.::_

Warmth spreading through his spark in a mix of both relief and adoration, helping to melt the icy encasement that had encroached around it, Damus smiled inwardly and nodded, even though he knew Electrum couldn’t see the action. He relaxed his grip on the berth and instead opted to lean against it, trying to relax his temper and instead focusing on the soothing sound of Electrum’s voice. No matter how quiet or strained it may have been, it still never failed to calm his nerves and soothe his spark.

 _::I want to see you, too,::_ Damus replied softly. _::But I don’t think it’d be wise to-::_

 _::Yeah, no. We can’t meet up at our normal time,::_ Electrum agreed before Damus could continue. _::The place is still safe, I think, but we’ll have to pick a different time.::_

Damus was quiet for a moment, knowing that his schedule was far more flexible than Electrum’s, and he waited for the femme to possibly answer for him. As far as he was concerned, any time would work for him. However, Electrum remained silent, and so Damus once again coaxed her to speak.

 _::Whatever time works for you...my heaven,::_ Damus murmured, hesitating a little on the last part. He’d never had the chance to ask Electrum how she felt about the pet name.

The soft giggle of a response was all the answer that the outlier needed.

_::It would need to be late. Nothing during the day. We would need to wait for Alpha Trion to be busy whenever he’s locked himself up in his own habsuite.::_

_::Right, right. That sounds like the safest idea given the...circumstances.::_

Though she was smiling, it was strained and Electrum forced herself to keep the smile simply so that Damus could hear it in her voice over the communication. She was slumped on her berth, wings laying down against her back listlessly, as she spoke to Damus.

 _::I’ll get you the time to meet soon, Damus,::_ Electrum promised, softly.

 

* * *

 

While the room had always seemed a little distant and dreary during the day, in the middle of the night, it seemed borderline frightening. The shadows seemed to catch on every nook and cranny of every covered table, chair, and structure, while the air felt incredibly still and cold. The overall effect was more than enough to make Electrum shiver as she rubbed the side of her arm as she awaited Damus’s arrival.

She didn’t begrudge him for taking longer to get to the room than she did. It was far easier for her to move amongst those around her, as well as the location simply being closer to her’s. That didn’t, however, keep Electrum from silently hoping that Damus would be quick in his arrival. The room felt like it was trying to slowly engulf her in a chilling maw of darkness, and Electrum fluttered her wings to try and calm herself.

“Electrum?”

Damus’s voice immediately brought the femme out of her thoughts, and she looked up, seeing the outlier cautiously walking in from the opposite doorway. A relieved and overjoyed smile spread across Electrum’s lips and she promptly darted towards the mech.

“Damus!” she cried happily, throwing her arms around him and hugging the mech tightly.

Promptly returning the embrace, Damus hugged Electrum tightly, burying his ‘face’ against the side of her helm and neck. He held her frame against his, trying to soothe the shivers that would occasionally ripple through Electrum’s frame. Slowly, he let one hand stroke down the femme’s back, mindful of her wings, as he ventilated a long, contented sigh.

“I don’t want to leave you,” Electrum whispered, her voice muffled.

“No, no,” Damus gently corrected, pulling back so that he could rest his forehelm against Electrum’s. “We’ll never be completely apart, my heaven. This is only temporary and soon we will be back together as we always have been.”

“Promise?” Electrum inquired, a shy, hopeful smile playing on her features.

“Promise.”

Hope was replaced with relief, and Electrum leaned up so as to kiss Damus where his mouth should have been. Shuttering her optics, the femme leaned gently against the outlier, placing another, longer kiss against Damus’s ‘face’. The mech made a low hum in reply, continuing to hold Electrum against him as he relished the affectionate kisses that she was placing on him.

Damus cold feel his frame begin to warm, the familiar feeling of tensity and heat beginning to rise back up in his lower midsection. A shudder of desire made its way through his frame before he pulled back a slight degree, just so that he could speak. Though trepidation would have normally kept him quiet, the outlier knew that this would be the last time he would be able to see Electrum for quite some time, so…

“Electrum… Did-did you want to...pick up from-from-”

“From where we left off?” Electrum finished breathlessly. She then nodded. “Yes.”

A content groan rumbled from Damus’s vocalizer and he began to gently back Electrum back up to the nearest table, leaning back down so that she could continue to kiss him. The femme didn’t resist, and, in fact, made a delighted giggle when Damus picked her up and set her on the edge of the table. Electrum wiggled a little to get comfortable, letting her legs slide apart when she felt Damus’s hands grasp lightly at her thighs and begin to massage at them with his thumb digits.

“Damus,” Electrum moaned softly when the outlier leaned forward and pressed his frame up against her own. Her hands reflexively gripped at Damus’s frame when he had his interface panel make a slow, teasing rut against her own. Heat and excitement was already racing through her systems, and Electrum made a soft whimper of want before she spoke. “Take me, Damus. I’m yours. Yours and yours alone. Take me. Please.”

The words were more than enough to spur on Damus, and he groaned lowly before letting one of his hands slip up and give Electrum’s interface panel a long, indulgent rub. The action garnered a surprised gasp from Electrum before the femme relaxed into a mix of a happy sigh and bashful giggles. Chuckling, feeling the tensity against his own interface panel, Damus nuzzled his face against Electrum’s.

“That’s it, my dearest heaven,” he coaxed. “That’s it.”

There was a soft clink sound as Electrum’s interface panel slid away, warm, viscous lubricant welling up at the soft folds of the entrance of her valve. Damus made a pleased growl and he held Electrum against him, more than content to let the femme continue to grace him with kisses and caresses. He let his hand that had massaged Electrum’s interface panel reach down, and then effortlessly slid his index and middle digits into the inviting warmth. His thumb digit immediately found her anterior node and began to massage slow, firm circles against it.

“Damus!” Electrum cried as she felt his digits inside her, promptly followed by the teasing circles that began to increase her overload charges.

Another contented growl purred from Damus and he continued to tease at Electrum’s anterior node, pleased with the fact that he could feel excess lubricant beginning to well up around his digits. He teasingly wiggled them against the soft, heated valve walls, grinning inwardly when he could both feel and see Electrum writhe on the table, but not pull away.

“You’re a terrible tease,” Electrum giggled breathlessly, giving Damus a ‘reprimanding’ look.

“Oh, well, I mustn’t upset you with too much teasing,” Damus replied, a mischievous tone in his voice.

Withdrawing his hand and shifting his weight back to give him just enough space, for the moment, Damus let his interface panel slide away, his spike pressurizing smoothly. Pre-transfluid welled up at the tip, the outlier gripping at Electrum’s frame with a low groan of desire. He looked back up at Electrum expectantly, and, when she nodded quickly, the mech positioned himself between Electrum’s legs.

There was a brief pause, and then Damus thrust hard into Electrum, relishing the slick heat that tightly enveloped his firm spike. Electrum made a sharp cry of delight, and they both clung to each other for a moment. Both their frames trembled, ventilations speeding up, before nervous but excited laughter rippled up from the both of them. They exchanged caresses, with Electrum kissing Damus’s face repeatedly, each whispering the other’s designation with the utmost reverence.

Finally, once he had been able to get his senses back to some semblance of order, Damus began to set a steady, wanting pace. Lubricant squelched up around his spike, smearing across Electrum’s thighs and the base of Damus’s spike. The mech groaned audibly as he held Electrum up against him tightly, his thrusts making her frame shudder with each one. He shuttered his optic, content to focus solely on the heat and tensity that were massaging at his spike and coaxing along his overload charges.

“Damus! Damus, oh, Damus!” Electrum cried softly, arching her back to let the outlier nuzzle along her neck and chassis. She lifted her hips, eager to have Damus thrust ever deeper into her, and clung to the mech’s frame to brace herself.

Her senses swam in a mix of carnal heat and anticipation, the feeling of fullness repeatedly entering her, making her overload charges burn hotter for release. Electrum gasped hoarsely, promptly leaning forward so as to hug herself against Damus. She could feel her lubricant, now mingling with Damus’s transfluid, smearing along her inner thighs and now, undoubtedly, along the table she was seated on.

“My-my-”

“Yes, yes!” Electrum interrupted excitedly. “Yours! Yours and yours-yours alone, Damus!”

Groaning loudly, Damus picked up his pace, his ventilation hitching with each thrust, his hands now held at Electrum’s aft, holding her up so that his thrusts could be as deep as he could muster. The femme clung to him, helping Damus hold her up, her hot frame pressed up against his own, her ventilation brushing up against his neck cables rapidly. The mech barely managed a surprised grunt when a pulse of transfluid escaped him as his overload charges began to coil towards their peak.

Though she didn’t consciously notice it, Electrum’s instincts noted how close Damus was getting, and her gestation chamber entrance slid open effortlessly. The action caused her overload charges to notch up considerably, excess lubricant welling up to help make Damus’s thrusts deeper and faster, and Electrum cried out as she clutched tightly to Damus, her digit tips digging in against the outlier’s armor. Her overload charges were practically searing at her systems, all sense of reason completely lost in the midst of their consummation.

“Electrum,” Damus breathed hoarsely, feeling his frame tense.

“Cl-close! I’m close!” Electrum gasped roughly into the outlier’s audial.

“Overload for me, darling,” Damus coaxed urgently, increasing his thrusts. “Overload for me, Electrum!”

The femme needed no further urging, between her burning overload charges and the fact that her now open gestation chamber was begging for Damus’s own overload, Electrum felt as though her overload charges were going to burn straight through her frame. She rode up against Damus roughly, seeking out the last traces of stimulation. Her overload charges built, and built, and built, and-

With a sudden shriek of both ecstasy and release, Electrum overloaded, the intensity catching her off guard as her valve walls massaged rhythmically against the hard spike buried within her. Her helm snapped back and she shuttered her optics tightly, letting herself get lost in the wild midst of her overload. Electrum writhed up against Damus wildly, gasping his name in between short cries. She was vaguely aware of the warmth that suddenly filled her valve, the heat working its way up into her lower midsection.

It hadn’t taken long for Damus to overload after Electrum. The femme’s shrieks of delight, coupled with her valve walls tensing around his spike in the most pleasurable of ways, pushed Damus’s overload charges to their peak. The mech made a strangled growl, clutching at Electrum, holding her hot, writhing frame against his own, as his spike throbbed with thick pulses of transfluid that filled the femme’s valve. His hands trembled as he fought to keep hold of Electrum’s frame, and the mech roughly placed a ‘kiss’ against the side of her helm. Shuttering his single optic, Damus gasped out Electrum’s name as he clutched to her, his senses a whirlwind of carnal euphoria.

As the two rode out the throes of their climaxes, the air of the room seemed to feel warm with their combined energies and emotions. Bits of dust and flecks of metal glinted as they floated down, leaving a thin veil of glimmering on both Damus’s and Electrum’s sheening frames. No sounds, save for the deep and slowing ventilation of both, with the occasional, reverent whisper of a designation.

Her gaze lifted up, the warmth in her lower midsection seeming to spread and send ripples of fulfilled contentment directly to her spark, and Electrum smiled up at the glistening specks in the air. She leaned against Damus gently, her digit tips beginning to massage gentle circles against the outlier’s armor. Nuzzling her face against the flexible cables of the mech’s neck, letting her lips grace them in brief, loving kisses. Smile widening when she heard Damus make a soft groan of contentment, his spike still buried inside her, Electrum made her own, soft hum in response.

As his senses returned to him, Damus flickered his optic back online, his vision blurred for a few, brief seconds before coming back into focus. It was actually the sensation of Electrum’s soft kisses against his neck that brought his attention back, and he waited for a few moments before leaning back to study the femme’s expression. His frame relaxed under her knowing digits, and Damus made a quiet chuckle before stroking Electrum’s face gently.

“Are you alright, my dear?” he inquired softly.

“Yes, I...I’m fine,” Electrum replied with a short nod. She carefully shifted her weight to unwrap her legs from Damus’s waist. “That was...that was amazing.”

Another chuckle rumbling from the outlier’s vocalizer, Damus, with great reluctance, withdrew carefully from Electrum. He had to wait for a few moments before his spike depressurized and he was able to close his interface panel, but he Damus continued to caress Electrum’s face gently. Though he couldn’t really explain why, the mech felt a new, definite pull towards the femme. It was a mix of care, protectiveness, and love, and though he couldn’t put it into words, Damus didn’t fight it.

A short noise escaped Electrum when Damus’s spike slid free of her, but her reproduction protocols were already in full operation. The femme’s interface panel slid back into place, allowing her systems to process the new life that was growing inside her. Electrum made a sheepish giggle, glancing away briefly before looking back to Damus. She nuzzled her face against his palm, giving it a quick kiss before looking back to the outlier. Her wings intermittently fluttered in contentment, and Electrum ventilated a long, happy sigh as she looked up at Damus.

“My dear Damus,” she whispered, letting her digit tips drift down so that she could continue to massage his armor. A frown quickly crossed her features before she let her smile, albeit a little sad, return. “I don’t want to leave you. I’m worried…”

Appearing a little taken aback by the femme’s comments, Damus tilted his helm to the side inquisitively, his caresses slowing so that Electrum could speak. He hooked his index digit under her chin, bringing her gaze back up to his own.

“Worried about what, my heaven?”

“About what could happen if Alpha Trion catches you,” Electrum murmured, not even wanting to actually voice her concerns. She knew what could happen, but thinking about it sent chills through her entire frame. “He would… Well, he could-”

“Shhh,” Damus softly interrupted, nuzzling his forehelm against the femme’s. Once again, the mech found himself wishing so badly that he could at least give Electrum a reassuring smile. “He won’t catch _either_ of us. It may be painful to be apart for a short while, but it will ease his suspicions and we can once again be together. Trust me, it will take far more than Alpha Trion’s irritation to keep me from you.”

Giggling at the comment, Electrum playfully gave Damus’s chassis a ‘reprimanding’ pat before relaxing a little. The mech was right. It would be unpleasant to be apart, but if it would turn Alpha Trion’s focus and ire away from them, then the temporary separation would be worth it. She knew that she would have to find a new place to have her ‘quiet time’ and be alone with her thoughts, but even that would be a temporary change. Finally, she nodded in agreement, looking up at Damus with as much of a reassuring smile that she could muster.

“You’re right. It will only be for a short time and help ensure that we can continue to see each other in the future,” she replied softly. “Just please be careful, okay?”

“I will. I must ask the same of you, as well,” Damus answered, holding Electrum to him. He began to rock the femme back and forth slowly, wanting to calm any possible upset that she may be feeling. “And please take care of yourself. I am resilient and I can tend to myself with considerable ease, but I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

Her smile took on a knowing, confident tone, and Electrum leaned up to kiss Damus gently. She stroked his helm with the affectionate action, before leaning back so that she could answer.

“Oh, you needn’t worry about me. I’m not as helpless as you might think,” she said teasingly.

That was enough to garner a loud laugh from Damus, and he visibly relaxed before shaking his helm. He looked around the room quickly, noting that the glimmering flecks of dust were still cascading down onto and around them. His gaze went back to Electrum just as quickly, and he caressed her face slowly, the nagging thought in the back of his mind that they were fast running out of time.

“I know you’re not,” he replied. He then nuzzled his face against Electrum’s. “That doesn’t mean I’m not going to worry, though.”

Giggling, Electrum returned the gesture before giving a short nod. Her internal chronometer gave a ping that only she could hear, advising the femme that they had precious little time before they would need to part.

“I’ll keep in touch as best I can,” she promised. “It may require a few clandestine transmissions, but I’ll be sure to keep in touch.”

“As will I,” Damus agreed. “He may be able to keep me from seeing you for a short time, but I most assuredly will not let Alpha Trion keep me from you completely.”

With a soft sigh of agreement, Electrum leaned against Damus gently, snuggling close against his still warm frame. The mech wrapped his arms around her, holding her close in his embrace, as his digits lightly traced along the edges of her wings. Though she knew that they had very little time left together, Electrum thought of one last thing that they could share before they would have to separate.

“Damus, could you possibly give me one more request?”

“Anything for you.”

“One last dance?”

Though his facial features may have been missing, Electrum could definitely ‘see’ the smile that Damus was favoring her with. She nuzzled against his hand again as it stroked across her face, and didn’t resist when the outlier tugged her to her feet.

By this point, their actions seemed almost automatic; their hands finding familiar places on the other’s frame, postures reflexively relaxing and going into the necessary stances. Even though the sound system was still inoperable, Damus had come prepared. He began to play a slow, mournful, and bittersweet opera from his own sound system, the notes reverberating in his audials. They helped keep his pace slow and in perfect timing with Electrum’s, and the outlier couldn’t help but notice how his spark spun a bit faster and burned a bit hotter when he saw the smile that the femme was favoring him with.

They waltzed around the room with a sense of renewed energy and enthusiasm, each reveling in the presence of the other. Damus instinctively took the lead, but his actions were never hurried or demanding. He took care so that Electrum could move with the grace that she so perfectly embodied. The femme’s steps were almost inaudible, leaving only the faintest of echoes throughout the room, and her optics glowed with far more beauty than any stars that Damus had ever seen.

The entire scene made the outlier’s spark burn a bit faster and hotter, and for a few moments, Damus worried he might not be able to let Electrum leave him. That he’d simply reduce himself to begging her to come with him, promising her that he could take care of her, and that they’d never had to be apart again. He could-

“Damus?”

It was then that the mech realized the music had faded and that they were once again standing in a dark, abandoned, and now silent, room.

Making a quiet, sheepish noise, the Damus glanced away for a quick moment before looking back to Electrum, who gently caressed the side of his helm and smiled softly at him. Ventilating a slow sigh, he nuzzled his face against the kind touch, shuttering his optic for the brief moment.

“Must we part?” he finally whispered.

“It’s only for a short time, Damus. A month and a half at the very most,” Electrum promised softly, letting her hand linger against the mech’s helm. She didn’t want to depart, either, but the fear of what would happen to Damus if she remained kept her from remaining longer than she dared. “And then we’ll be together once again.”

The sound of a low creak rumbling through the room, though seemingly inconspicuous, acted as a non-verbal warning that they were running out of time. With a short, sad sigh, Damus leaned forward for another kiss from Electrum, to which the femme was all too happy to give.

Clasping both hands on the sides of Damus’s helm, the femme pressed her lips gently to where the outlier’s lips would have been, and shuttered her optics. Wings fluttering for a brief moment at the feeling of Damus’s hands on her sides, Electrum made a quiet hum before reluctantly pulling away. Even so, she managed a soft, but brave smile...for both their sakes.

“I can only hope that it is the only time that we will ever have to be apart,” she added.

“As do I,” Damus agreed softly, lowering his helm before looking back to Electrum. “Take care, my heaven.”

“I will. You, too.”

For a brief moment, there was nothing but silence and the slowly falling glints of dust and flecks of metal, giving the illusion of stars cascading down around them. Finally…

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

With that, both Electrum and Damus parted ways. Unbeknownst to either of them, it would be the last time they saw each other under such quiet and gentle circumstances.

 

* * *

 

Another pang of pain caused Electrum to awaken from her recharge, optics shuttering on and taking a few moments to properly focus. She sat up with a quiet groan, clutching at her lower midsection in a vain attempt to try and mitigate the discomfort that was working its way through her frame. Tendrils of both pain and exhaustion threaded their way through her systems, and there was a moment where Electrum worried she would be ill and purge her tanks.

Fortunately, the nausea passed, but the pain itself didn’t. It had been this way for almost the full time since she and Damus had said their good-byes. Initially, the femme had simply assumed it to be a side-effect of her lonely, hurt spark, and she had tried to assuage the pain with discrete, rather mundane, transmissions to Damus, but only as often as she had dared. It certainly didn’t help that Damus’s responses had gotten more and more infrequent, with their response times becoming more and more erratic.

If anything, the fact that Damus seemed to be forgetting about Electrum more often and quicker than she had feared he would only seemed to exacerbate the hurt and loneliness weighing down on her spark. The worry that the mech she loved so dearly had already replaced the memory of with new ones, and possibly replaced Electrum herself, made the femme’s spark twist in a cold way that hurt far more than any physical pain she’d experienced.

Now, though, Electrum wasn’t entirely sure that it was _only_ her spark that was to blame. Over the past couple of days, exhaustion had accompanied the pain, and her lower midsection had felt warmer than usual. On top of all that, there was the occasional and faint sense of something, or someone, else’s presence in her thoughts. Again, Electrum had thought it to be lingering memories of Damus, but instead of fading like most memories did over time, this presence was only growing stronger.

“What in the name of Primus is wrong with me?” Electrum muttered, moving to the edge of the berth and letting her legs dangle over the side. She continued to massage at her lower midsection, still trying to soothe both the pain and heat.

In the back of her mind, there was a nagging thought that wouldn’t ever completely silence itself. A thought that told Electrum the reason for the occasional bouts of pain and exhaustion, and why she would sometimes feel as though it wasn’t only her thoughts in her mind.

But the idea, stubborn as it was, was far too jarring for Electrum. At least, far too jarring for her to admit to herself just yet, even if it did turn out to be-

_::Electrum?::_

It was Damus. Finally, he was returning the previous transmission that she had sent him a couple days ago.

_::Damus! Are you alright?::_

_::Yes, why?::_

_::Well, you...you didn’t answer me for a couple of days. I thought something might have happened,::_ Electrum replied, trying to hide the mix of disappointment and irritation that ran through her.

 _::No, I was just a bit preoccupied, I’m sorry. I’ve been meeting with a few new acquaintances that I’ve made. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make things better for the both of us, but it’s been time consuming.::_ Fortunately, if Damus had picked up on Electrum’s upset, it didn’t come across in his reply. ...the femme wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse.

_::Oh, I see. I was just worried that...never mind. I’m glad you’re alright, and that’s all that matters.::_

_::What about you? How have you been faring, my dear heaven?::_

Damus’s endearing nickname for Electrum brought a small smile to her face, and she rubbed her midsection again, noting that the pain, at least, had subsided for the time being. She paused as she mulled over whether or not she should tell Damus her worries, but ultimately decided against it. There was no point in riling him up when neither of them could do anything about the situation they were currently in.

_::Electrum?::_

_::Sorry. I...I’ve been alright. Just a little under the weather, it seems, but nothing major.::_

_::You’re ill? How long have you been sick?::_ Damus inquired, a slight sense of urgency entering his tone.

 _::Just a few weeks, is all,::_ Electrum answered, trying to make the answer as light and quick as she could without sounding too dismissive.

_::And you’re just now telling me!?::_

The outburst caught the femme off guard, and she found herself speechless in the moment. She tried to come up with a decent reply, but nothing came to mind. Her first reaction was simply to laugh it off and assure Damus that it was nothing, and that she could go to some of the best medics that Cybertron had to offer. Her second reaction, however, caught even her by surprise, and it was to respond that if Damus had bothered to answer her more often, then perhaps he’d know more about what was happening to her.

Shaking her helm quickly to regain her focus, Electrum forced herself to keep her temper and tone even and polite.

_::I didn’t think it was anything to be concerned about. Besides, I can go to a medic-::_

_::Don’t give me the political answer, Electrum,::_ Damus interrupted. _::Save that for Alpha Trion or someone looking to keep you in that gilded cage you live in. What’s really going on?::_

 _::Well, perhaps if you answered me more than once a week, you might know,::_ Electrum snapped back before she could think, her temper flaring in the face of being interrupted.

The silence on Damus’s side of the conversation was more than enough to break the femme out of her temporary anger, and she bit down on her bottom lip in muted regret. She ventilated a long sigh, irritated at both Damus and herself.

 _::I’m sorry,::_ she murmured quickly, clutching at her midsection reflexively. _::I just…::_

 _::You have nothing to apologize for,::_ Damus assured, even if his tone didn’t completely convey the sincerity of his words. _::I...I know I have been absent far more than either of us anticipated. I assure you that it is not something I do willingly.::_

_::May I ask...why? Why are you so quiet for days on end?::_

There was a pause, and for a few moments, Electrum worried that she had pried too far and that Damus would shut her out. But, fortunately, the mech answered, and his tone harbored no upset.

_::I mentioned that I have been meeting with new acquaintances I’ve made. They’re people that feel the same way that you and I do. That we shouldn’t have to meet in shadows simply because we are of different castes and from different power structures.::_

The wording that Damus was using perplexed Electrum a little, but she didn’t press. Instead, she opted for a more neutral response.

_::Okay. I can see that taking some time to do, I suppose.::_

_::They’re also Decepticons. Decepticons that have also found the truth that I did in ‘Towards Peace’.::_

Whatever reservations Electrum had were immediately dashed, and she felt a stab of alarm and apprehension shoot through her. Again, she struggled with a response, but this time it was far more profound. The femme didn’t know if it was because Damus’s new ‘acquaintances’ were Decepticons, if it was because he was still harping on about that damnable book that Megatron had wrote, or both. Regardless, however, her spark twisted in a way that sent chills through her frame, never mind that she was in the warmth of her personal chambers.

 _::Your silence isn’t exactly confidence building,::_ Damus chuckled nervously.

Under almost any other circumstances, Electrum would have been able to laugh at the statement and ease any worries that Damus may have had. Now, though, she found herself doubting more about the mech than she cared to admit…

 _::I...see,::_ she finally answered, struggling with the two, relatively simple, words. _::That’s understandable, I suppose.::_

 _::You don’t sound so sure, Electrum,::_ Damus stated softly, a mix of hurt and nervousness creeping into his tone. _::Is there anything I can say or do to help ease your concerns?::_

_::No, it’s just...I’m worried about you. I don’t want to see you get hurt when you sound so...excited about this situation as a whole.::_

_::I’m certainly not excited to be apart from you,::_ Damus quickly replied. _::But I will admit that I am rather excited at the prospect of being able to help build a future where we don’t have to hide our feelings or affections for each other in dusty, abandoned rooms. Where we don’t have to worry about some archaic, classist laws keeping us apart for no reason other than cruelty.::_

Though she couldn’t qute say why, the way that Damus was speaking didn’t help calm Electrum. In fact, it had the exact opposite. It was almost like she was no longer speaking to the shy, occasionally clumsy, outlier that she had fallen in love with. More and more it sounded like she was speaking to some sort of...follower. A follower of _‘Towards Peace’_.

 _::Alright, Damus. I believe you. Just understand that I’ll still worry about you, nonetheless,::_ Electrum answered, trying to sound as convincing as she could muster.

 _::Do you, truly, believe me, my heaven…?::_ Damus inquired, his voice sounding surprisingly small in comparison to how grandiose he had been speaking a few moments again.

Electrum was torn on how to answer. She didn’t want to lie to her beloved outlier, but she didn’t want to upset him, either. With a soft sigh, she shuttered her optics and hugged her midsection before answering.

 _::I do, Damus,::_ she lied. _::But...I have to go, now. Alpha Trion will get suspicious and I’m not feeling well again.::_

_::Wait, please. Just-::_

_::No, Damus,::_ Electrum interjected, her voice quiet but firm. She didn’t want to run the risk of making matters worse by continuing to lie to the mech. _::I need to go.::_

 _::Alright, alright. I’ll see about trying to arrange a time that we can see each other, I promise.::_ There was a pause, and then… _::I love you, my heaven.::_

_::I love you, too, Damus.::_

With that, Electrum cut the transmission off. She didn’t want Damus to hear the fact that her voice was tightening with upset, and that tears were starting to burn at her optics. It wouldn’t serve any purpose except to make matters worse.

Swinging her legs back up over onto the berth, Electrum set about tucking the plush bedding around her in an attempt to soothe herself. She would occasionally reach down to stroke her midsection, but just as quickly return to busying herself with the bedding. It was a means to keep her preoccupied and try to ease the dull throb of pain and exhaustion working through her frame.

As she lay down, hoping for a few more hours of recharge, Electrum made a promise to herself to go see either Ratchet or Pharma as to why she was constantly ill. Even if it confirmed her greatest concerns, at least she would know.

 

* * *

 

The room was cold. Far too cold. It bit down at Electrum’s frame and went straight for her spark, which felt like it was stalling in the face of the news that she had just been told.

“Electrum?” Pharma inquired slowly, trying to pull the femme out of her shock.

Gaze flicking up to the medic, Electrum tried to put on a polite smile, but found that she couldn’t even muster up an expression that was most basic to her. Instead, she gave Pharma a confused, worried look, glancing away before finding her voice and speaking up.

“I’m...carrying?”

“Yes. Looks like the sparkling is about two months along,” Pharma repeated with a nod. He kept his voice low,  having picked up on the femme’s upset. “It looks to be developing just fine, but my concern is more for you.”

“Me?” Electrum asked, showing genuine confusion.

“Yes. It looks like the sparkling is putting a serious drain on your energy reserves, as well as a notable strain on your spark,” Pharma explained, looking down at the datapad he was holding. “I would strongly suggest that you either come here for regular and extensive check ups, or possibly look into staying here for the duration of the sparkling’s gestation.”

“No, no…” Electrum shook her helm quickly, feeling her insides twist with worry. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who the sparkling’s sire was, and trying to explain that to Alpha Trion would be disastrous. “I couldn’t. I _can’t_.”

“Why not? Your well-being is of an utmost concern and I can’t, in good conscience, say that you attempting to go through this carrying on your own would be safe for you or the sparkling.”

“I just...can’t,” Electrum murmured, her posture slouching as she rubbed her midsection. The armor was starting to show the smallest signs of distention, and the femme knew that it was going to be impossible for her to hide the state she was in for much longer. “Alpha Trion would be furious.”

“What? Why?”

Falling silent, Electrum bit down on her bottom lip, not sure if she should tell Pharma who the sparkling’s sire was. She trusted the medic, of course, but didn’t know if he would be obligated to tell others, Alpha Trion in particular, the sparkling’s lineage if they were asked.

“Electrum? Why can’t you?”

“Pharma,” Electrum said slowly, her hand still on her midsection, but gaze downcast. “If I told you who the sparkling’s sire was, would you-could you keep it a secret?”

Pausing, wings lifting in obvious confusion and suspicion, Pharma studied the femme for a long moment, then ventilated a short sigh and set aside the datapad. He loosely crossed his arms and leaned against the edge of a medical table, mindful not to disturb the tools set on it.

“I can’t say for certain. I have to keep both yours and the sparkling’s welfare in mind, and if the sire is a threat, then-”

“He’s not. It’s what….might happen to him, if a select few found out he was the sire.”

“I...well, okay,” Pharma said, sounding more confused than he had before. He frowned and then shook his helm. “I can at least promise you that so long as it doesn’t put you or the sparkling at risk, I won’t tell anyone who the sire is unless you give me your permission first.”

Well, that would have to do, wouldn’t it? It wasn’t like Electrum had a lot of choices, and, if anything, perhaps Pharma could help her in fielding the imminent questions about her unborn sparkling’s lineage. And, maybe, just maybe, the medic might be able to help arrange a meeting between Electrum and Damus once the sparkling was born.

...and hopefully Damus would actually show up and display some semblance of punctuality this time.

“Okay. That’s the best I can ask for, I suppose,” Electrum said with a weak smile, looking back up to Pharma. She hesitated for a brief moment, but found her voice just as quickly. “The sire is Damus.”

Pharma was glad he had set aside the datapad, because he might have dropped it in his shock. Optics widening and wings stiffening, he stared at Electrum for a long moment, mouth opening and then closing as he struggled to find the words to voice his thoughts. Finally, he opted to simply cover his mouth with his hand, making a low hum of thought and trying to make the action look as casual as he could. It certainly wouldn’t do Electrum any good if he acted as though the world were ending now that he knew who the sire was.

...it didn’t help that, if Alpha Trion found out, it very would could _seem_ like Electrum’s, and Damus’s, world was ending.

“Damus,” Pharma repeated quietly. He then looked up at Electrum, quirking a helm ridge. “The empurata victim? The outlier?”

Electrum could only nod.

“Oh,” the medic sighed, appearing to understand the gravity of the situation. “I see. Well, I can certainly understand why you wouldn’t want the sparkling’s lineage known.”

“Do you have to tell anyone?” Electrum asked cautiously.

“No,” Pharma replied quickly, wanting to assuage any concerns that the femme may have had. “At least, not as of right now. But that does explain quite a few things. One of which is why the sparkling is putting such a strain on you overall. And, unfortunately, it’s only going to get worse. I can almost guarantee, with everything the scans show, that the sparkling has inherited at least some of Damus’s outlier makeup.”

“I had...kind of thought that might be the case.”

“The news doesn’t get much better. While the sparkling is apt to grow stronger and demand more from you, which is only going to make you weaker.” Pharma gave Electrum an imploring look. “I’m going to repeat my suggestion that I _strongly_ advise you stay under close medical watch for the duration of this carrying.”

“You know I can’t do that,” Electrum replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “Alpha Trion will get suspicious and it would only be a short time before he demands to know who the sire is. And then what?”

Pharma was silent, looking away instead. After a few moments, though, he looked back to Electrum and replied in a similar, matter-of-fact tone.

“So what happens when you collapse and have to be rushed for emergency care? Do you think this is something you can stop, Electrum? You’d only be delaying the inevitable, and putting yourself at great risk, by trying to avoid facing the facts.”

The bitter truth of Pharma’s words cut deeper than the femme wanted to acknowledge, and she winced a little before shrugging. The flier was right in that she was delaying the inevitable, but Electrum didn’t want to think about what would happen to Damus if, no, when it was discovered that they were the sire of the sparkling.

A small idea sprung into Electrum’s racing thoughts, and she looked up at Pharma.

“Can you at least give me a week? Maybe a little more?” she asked hopefully. “I only want to talk to Damus and let him know...everything.”

Pharma hesitated, and for a moment, Electrum feared that the medic might deny her request. Finally, though, he sighed heavily and nodded, his hands falling to his sides.

“Against my better judgment, I’ll give you a week and a half,” he stated. He then gave Electrum a pointed look and jabbed a digit at her. “However, if you’re not back for, at the very least, a check up after that week and a half, you had either have a very good reason as to why not or I will personally come to your quarters to fetch you myself. Am I understood?”

Smiling faintly, knowing that it was Pharma’s rather terse way of showing concern, Electrum gave an affirmative nod.

“Yes. Thank you, Pharma.”

 

* * *

 

Quickening his pace, Damus darted through the crowd, hoping to make it to the shop before they closed for the day. Their hours were somewhat odd, given that the items they specialized in were more luxury items than anything, and those that shopped there rarely had to worry about time constraints. And while his empurata status may have caused some to give him a wide berth, there were those that seemed to purposefully get in his way.

Electrum had sent him a message, a rather nervous one at that, that had borderline begged him to show up for a meeting tonight. The fact that it was sooner than the mech had anticipated for them to see each other again, coupled with how wary the femme had sounded, had Damus’s nerves on edge. He worried that something may have happened to his beloved, or his heaven, as he had taken to calling her, and while Damus still couldn’t do as much as he would have liked to keep Electrum sae, he wasn’t going to abandon her.

He just needed to make a quick stop to check on something that he had been planning to surprise Electrum with for quite some time and then he would head straight to see her.

As he neared the doorway to the shop, Damus ventilated a short sigh of relief when he saw that they were still open. He quickly moved around another mech before finally making it inside, immediately scanning for the shopkeeper. Fortunately, they were at their desk and noticed the outlier, and, albeit with a bit of hesitation, nodded and motioned for them to come over.

“I had wondered if you were going to make it,” the shop owner said with a slight air of disdain.

Damus ignored the degrading tone, as he was far more eager to see the status of the commission he had asked of the somewhat prejudiced mech. He glanced over the countertop before looking up at them questioningly.

“How’s it coming along?”

“Well, you certainly had a lot of specifics,” the short mech commented, bending over to pick up something from behind the desk. He then set a small box on the countertop as gently as he could before opening the box with just as much care. “However, you also paid for said specifics, so I’m not going to complain. It’s coming along nicely, wouldn’t you say?”

With that, the mech delicately set down a golden music box with wispy, cerulean inlays adorning its sides and top. They then opened it, revealing a dancing couple at the center, of which was obviously modeled after Damus and Electrum. Though no music played from the gorgeous piece of work, Damus wasn’t bothered. He knew that the shopkeeper was still working on the music box and instead was more than happy to focus on the great attention to detail that had been given.

“It’s perfect,” he whispered, fearful to touch it in that he might break it...as he did with most things. Damus then looked back up at the shopkeeper, his one optic wide. “She’ll love it.”

“This femme must be really something,” the shop owner stated as they carefully put the music box back in its container for safekeeping. He glanced over Damus, not bothering to hide the fact that he seemed to be struggling with the idea of any Cybertronian wanting to be anywhere near the outlier. “I have to say that this music box is probably one of the more expensive items that I’ve been commissioned to do.”

“She is,” Damus replied without hesitation, too far in his daydream about how happy Electrum would be with the music box to notice the shopkeeper’s look. “She’s worth every shanix and more.”

“Well…” The other mech paused, not sure how to follow up in the face of the outlier’s reverent proclamation. After a moment, they made a short noise and nodded. “I should be finished with the music box in another couple of weeks. It’s taking a little longer to get the necessary parts to play the tune that you requested, but I assure you they’re on their way.”

“That’s fine. I will-” Damus stopped when he noticed a familiar mech out of the corner of his vision, and he felt his spark do a nervous flip.

It was Blinker. One of the mechs that was known for finding those that either followed or were interested in what Megatron had to teach. He waved quickly at Damus, which made the outlier’s spark do another nervous twist. Blinker was well aware that Damus was already a close follower of Megatron’s teachings, so if they were there and trying to get the outlier’s attention…

“I have to go. Thank you,” Damus said quickly to shopkeeper before pivoting and darting out of the shop.

“There you are,” Blinker stated the moment that Damus was within earshot. He smirked and crossed his arms loosely. “What’re you doing in this fancy part of town? A bit rich for the likes of us, don’t you think?”

“Just-just needed to check on something,” Damus answered, not wanting to go into too much detail. It wasn’t like Blinker needed to know the details of his personal life, anyways. “What did you need?”

“Right, straight to the point,” Blinker chuckled. He glanced around quickly and then motioned for Damus to follow him. He led the outlier down a dimly lit and unpopulated alleyway before continuing. “Megatron wants to meet you.”

The statement almost knocked Damus off his pedes, and he stopped in his tracks as his spark did a wild flutter of excitement. For a moment, he was speechless and struggled to come up with any words, much less a reply. Finally, though, he turned his gaze to Blinker and made a couple of stuttering noises before finding his voice.

“Megatron? Megatron himself wants to see me?”

“Yup. He’s been really impressed with what he’s heard and seen of you. I have to admit, I’m kind of jealous.” Blinker chuckled again, but shrugged airily and continued. “But, yeah, he wants to meet up with you and you alone. Sounds like he’s got big plans for you and, uh, not to be too forward, but you’d be an absolute idiot to pass up this kind of opportunity.”

“Y-yeah, no kidding,” Damus replied with a halting laugh, still in a state of disbelief of what he had just heard. He took a moment to regain his composure and then looked back to Blinker. “When did Lord, er, when did Megatron want to meet?”

Making short scoff at the honorific that Damus reflexively added to Megatron’s name, Blinker shrugged again with a weak grin.

“Tonight. You know Megatron. He’s not one for waiting.”

A cold realization washed over him and again, Damus found himself speechless, but this time due to a far different emotion.

Tonight? But he was supposed to see Electrum. He couldn’t stand her up, especially given how worried she’d sounded in the transmission that she’d sent him. But by the same token, Blinker was very correct. Damus would be an idiot to pass up the opportunity to meet Megatron, _especially_ if it was a one-on-one conversation. But what if the conversation went on long enough that Damus wasn’t able to make it to his meeting with Electrum?

“Damus? Hey, Damus? What’s with the hesitation?”

Blinker’s incessant voice snapped Damus out of his thoughts, and the outlier jerked his gaze back up to the smaller mech. This was one of the very, very few times that the outlier was grateful for the fact that he _didn’t_ have facial features. They would have betrayed the conflicted emotions roiling around in his thoughts and spark, and that was something that Damus didn’t trust Blinker to keep a secret.

“I, well… I had...plans to meet...someone else,” Damus ventured cautiously.

His jaw dropping open a slight degree, Blinker stared at Damus with a look of shock and horror. He tilted his helm and struggled to say anything coherent, before finally scoffing sharply and giving Damus a look of disgust.

“And they’re more important than Megatron?! The one who’s got the potential to lead us out of this classist Hell we’re living in?”

Biting back a retort, Damus ventilated a sigh inwardly and fell silent. He knew that saying it was Electrum he was wanting to meet would do nothing but bring grief down on the both of them, but at the same time, it didn’t sit well with Damus to let Blinker so easily brush aside the femme and how important she was to Damus.

...but maybe Megatron would understand.

He had to.

Megatron understood things that so many others didn’t. He would _definitely_ understand if Damus were to not only plead to go see Electrum on time, but also to bring her back to stay with Damus. Megatron had enough power and sway, even now, that he could keep Electrum safe and hidden from Alpha Trion. At least, long enough until it no longer mattered what Alpha Trion thought.

Megatron would understand.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Damus said, trying to deflect some of Blinker’s suspicion. “I’ll meet with Megatron.”

“You’d better! Seriously, though, there’s not a single person alive or dead that’s worth missing-”

“Enough!” Damus snapped, his hands reflexively lifting as his digits went into claw-like positions.

Alarm shot across Blinker’s expression and he quickly held up his hands as he shuffled back. Damus had chosen his reaction on purpose, knowing that Blinker was well aware of the power that he had in his hands and what he could _do_ with that sort of power.

“Okay, okay. Don’t get all bent out of shape. I just… I was surprised that you didn’t practically jump for joy when I said that Megatron wanted to meet with you.”

“Like I said, I’d had plans to meet with somebody else and I was just...taken aback that Megatron wanted to meet me after such little time,” Damus replied tersely, though he didn’t lower his hands.

“Alright, got it. I got it. Just...lower your damn hands already. You’re making me nervous just having them held up like that.”

 

* * *

 

He wasn’t going to show up.

Damus wasn’t going to show up.

The time that Electrum needed him to be there for her more than any other time she could remember...and Damus was absent.

Tears burned at her optics, and a painfully bitter feeling seemed to seep through her entire frame before focusing in on her spark, before Electrum hugged herself tightly to try and mitigate the pain that she knew wouldn’t ease. Her wings were pinned down tightly against her back, and she shuttered her optics as she gritted her dentae to try and will away the tears that were already slipping down her face.

A sick sensation rested in the pit of her midsection, and for a brief moment, the femme wondered if her unborn sparkling was aware of the distress she was in. It seemed like a silly thought, but in this moment, when Electrum felt more alone than she ever had, it was one of the few things that provided any sense of comfort.

Shifting her arms a little so that she could hug both herself and, to an extent, the sparkling growing inside her, Electrum bit back a sharp sob that stung her vocalizer. She had waited hours and hours for Damus, to the point that she knew she was going to be in trouble upon returning to her quarters. The fact that she was going to be in trouble only for Damus to stand her up just made things worse, and another, louder sob escaped through her gritted dentae.

_How could he?!_

The thought ran through Electrum’s thoughts over and over until it and the spark-shattering pain that it brought on were the only things she could focus on. It felt like her entire world was slowly crumbling around her, and the razor-sharp shards were cutting into her armor as they fell.

Electrum was so focused on her emotional pain that she didn’t notice the first blips of warning as her systems began to rapidly drain of energy.

In fact, she didn’t notice the repeated blips, as they were drown out by the biting sobs and burning tears that slid, unbidden, down her face. She roughly rubbed them away, trying to use some of the roughness to mitigate the emotional pain that only seemed to swell up in her spark and grow with each wave. Her vocalizer felt like it was going to burst with the pent up sobs, but Electrum still cut herself short when one finally managed to rip itself free and slip past her lips.

It was the sudden gasp that brought her back to her senses, or rather, enough that the femme realized how dangerously low her energy levels were. They had plummeted in a matter of mere seconds, all masked by her emotional upset, and were now threatening to literally bring her to her knees.

Panic shot through her and Electrum stumbled back a few steps, still clutching at her midsection in a reflexive, protective move, and she looked around the room quickly. Now that her vision was blurred, thanks to a mix of energy drain and tears, she found that the dark room was nearly impossible to navigate. The doorway was never lit, and any dim light from the hallway could easily be mistaken for one of the few emergency lights that littered the walls.

“I-”

Cutting short her call for help, Electrum stopped and stared forward, her ventilation now racing as she struggled to keep herself standing and conscious. Who was she going to call for help? Pharma and Ratchet weren’t even available. Alpha Trion was a laughably dangerous decision. And Damus…

Pushing the thoughts from her mind, Electrum forced herself to take a step forward. It was a slow, lurching step, and it sent shards of pain riveting up through her leg when her pede connected with the ground, but it had to be done. With a short snarl of pain, emotional and physical, Electrum began to stagger and stumble her way to what she could only hope was the exit.

Her vision kept cutting in and out, and each time it would come back online, it took longer and longer to focus. Even so, Electrum knew she couldn’t simply stop. She couldn’t simply stop there in the middle of the room. That wasn’t an option. If she could just get back to her room, lay down in her own, warm berth, and get some rest. That’s all she needed just a bit of rest. A...little bit of rest.

The last thought on Electrum’s mind, though, wasn’t of her quarters, or of her berth, but of Damus and her unborn sparkling, before she collapsed to the floor unconscious.

 

* * *

 

Alpha Trion stood by the doorway, where both Ratchet and Pharma had ushered him, watching as the two medics worked on Electrum. He was grateful for the fact that he was able to get two of Cybertron’s most talented medics to help repair whatever was wrong with the femme, but there were still a myriad of questions running through his mind.

He had found Electrum in that damned, dilapidated room that he had repeatedly asked her both about and not to go to any more. She had been a collapsed heap, already cool to the touch, her wings splayed out unceremoniously. One of the first things that Alpha Trion noticed whenever he had gingerly picked her up was that there was evidence that Electrum had been weeping. Over what, he didn’t know, but that was something he intended to find out.

“Have you found out anything?” he asked, keeping his voice low. Normally, he wouldn’t bother the medics while they worked, but it had been a few hours and his curiosity, and concern, were starting to get the better of him.

“We may have figured out the reason her power levels fell fast enough that she collapsed,” Ratchet stated. “She-”

“No, we haven’t,” Pharma interjected sharply. His voice was quiet, but stern and sudden enough to stop Ratchet mid-sentence.

Looking up at Pharma as though the medijet had grown two heads, Ratchet stared at them for a long moment, wordlessly asking them why in blazes they had not only interrupted him, but were now lying to Alpha Trion of all mechs. The response that he got was a pointed, level look from Pharma, and even though the medic continued to work on stabilizing Electrum, it was quite obvious that Pharma knew something Ratchet did not.

Even so, that didn’t mean that they could keep pertinent, and important, information about Electrum’s condition from the mech that watched over her.

“Fine. Then we have a strong possibility as to why,” Ratchet said, ignoring the quiet hiss of protest that Pharma made. He glanced over his shoulder to Alpha Trion. “Electrum is carrying. The sparkling isn’t very old, but it seems to be putting an unusually high strain on her vital systems.”

Out of his peripheral vision, Ratchet could see Pharma grimace and look away, but he was more surprised with Alpha Trion’s reaction. The mech looked as though he had been backhanded across the face, and was rendered speechless for a good minute or two. If anything, Ratchet would have expected Alpha Trion to anticipate the answer, as he could only assume that they knew that Electrum was carrying.

Unless…

The realization clicked in his mind and Ratchet turned to Pharma, who was giving him a very disapproving glare. The medic made a short huff and then turned his focus back to Electrum, completely ignoring Ratchet’s wordless attempt to get more information.

“She’s...carrying?” Alpha Trion finally repeated.

“Ah, yes...yes, sir,” Ratchet replied slowly, now not as sure as he had initially been of his train of thought. Why didn’t Alpha Trion know? How could he not know? The mech kept tabs on Electrum practically every hour of every day. “I had assumed you knew.”

“You assumed wrong, then.”

The curt tone in Alpha Trion’s voice snapped Ratchet out of any surprise they may have had, and the medic narrowed his optics slightly. He straightened his posture, cast a glance to Pharma, then addressed the mech.

“Given how much you watch over her, it only stood to reason that you would know. However, seeing as how you found her collapsed in the middle of a room and haven’t had her brought to the care of Pharma or myself, you are correct in that it was wrong of me to assume you knew anything about it.”

Even though he was internally panicking at the fact that Ratchet had told Alpha Trion of Electrum’s current condition, Pharma couldn’t help but smirk. If there was one thing that you did not do, it was to be short with Ratchet. Especially if the medic was working. Even Pharma knew that.

The jab wasn’t missed by Alpha Trion, and the mech stood up straight, looking a bit indignant, but wisely keeping quiet. After a few moments, he made a short noise and shook his helm. Fighting with the medics was not going to do him, or Electrum, any favors.

“My apologies if what I said came off as uncouth. As you have probably guessed by now, I did not know that Electrum was carrying. She kept that a secret from all of us, it seems.”

 _‘Save for one of us,’_ Ratchet thought to himself, glancing over at Pharma again. He ventilated a short sigh and stood up, glancing over Electrum. She was at least stable, and now that they could both care for and monitor her, the chances of her and her sparkling surviving were greatly increased.

After a few more moments of thought, Ratchet turned to Alpha Trion.

“Is there any knowledge as to who the sire of her sparkling might be?”

The question would have made Pharma freeze, had he not been expecting the inquiry. Fortunately, he was able to simply go about cleaning the tools he had been working with. He was no fool. He knew good and well how Alpha Trion would react if they found out the unborn’s lineage, so it was all for the best that-

There was the sound of yelling and protesting outside in the hallway, and it was enough to make all of them turn to look at the door. Ratchet was the first to storm towards it, muttering something about incapable guards and how he was going to crack their helms with a saw. Alpha Trion was quick to follow, and only Pharma hesitated. He recognized one of the voices, even though he had only heard it a couple of times, and that voice was the voice of the unborn sparkling’s sire.

Looking outside into the hallway, Ratchet was confused to see Damus, or Glitch, of all mechs, trying to push his way through the hospital guards. The outlier seemed borderline frantic, and it certainly wasn’t doing anybody any favors. It was making the guards very uneasy, to the point that they both had a hand ready to draw their blasters at the twitch of an optic, and Damus himself seemed almost ready to use his deadly Ability. ...save for the fact that he, curiously, had his hands covering something. Something that he was taking great care not to let anybody see or get near.

It was only when Alpha Trion strode through, appearing somewhat nonplussed by the threat of Damus’s Ability, though mostly because they had their hands still cupped over whatever it was they were protecting. The guards respectfully stepped aside, but stayed at the ready in case Damus tried anything stupid. To their credit, the outlier stayed himself, even when Alpha Trion strode forward and looked over them with no small amount of disdain.

“What are _you_ doing-”

“Where is she!? Is she okay!?” Damus interrupted in a panic, seeming not to care that he was not in a safe place for himself at all. “I heard Electrum was brought here, was she?!”

“Keep your voice down,” Alpha Trion snapped. He then paused, as though realizing who the mech’s line of inquiry was about. “Why? Who told you?”

Withdrawing slightly, Damus narrowed his one optic at Alpha Trion before looking away, knowing better than to give away the name of his informant. Besides, that was an irrelevant detail. What was relevant now was that Electrum had been hospitalized and he hadn’t been there for her. He made a few noises of contemplation, then looked back up at Alpha Trion, who was still glowering at him.

“It doesn’t matter who told me, I just-”

“It matters a great deal. Electrum’s welfare is none of your concern, and when I find out who is feeding you information about her, I intend to make their punishment swift and dire,” Alpha Trion promised, almost sounding proud of the statement.

“It’s all of my concern!” Damus retorted angrily, one of his hands beginning to lift. “What’s happened to her!? What’s wrong-”

“I don’t care if you two want to keep arguing until your vocalizers give out, but the next one of you that shouts and upsets any of my patients will get unnecessary surgery,” Ratchet interrupted angrily, having had enough of the bickering.

Appearing surprised by the medic’s threat, the two looked over at him and Pharma, who was standing just outside of Electrum’s room, and then back to each other. However begrudgingly, they both lowered their voices, and Damus even went so far as to lower his hand from the threatening position that he had raised it to. After a few moments, the outlier lowered his helm in an attempt to further diffuse the situation, and when he spoke, his voice was lowered and quiet.

“Please. Can you at least tell me what’s wrong with Electrum?”

Studying the mech for a moment, trying, to a degree, to push aside his reactionary disdain for them, Alpha Trion mulled over their request. While he didn’t like the idea of catering to this ill-mannered outlier, he also knew that withholding information would only ignite things further.

“It seems that the sparkling that Electrum is carrying is causing her...great distress, physically and emotionally,” Alpha Trion said, watching Damus closely.

‘Sparkling’. Electrum was carrying a sparkling. ...and it didn’t take long for Damus to realize who the sire was.

This was the second time in a relatively short time that Damus was immensely grateful for the fact that he was missing his facial features, because he knew that they would have betrayed him this time. In fact, he was surprised that he didn’t fall over upon hearing the news.

“Sparkling,” he finally repeated, not wanting to raise too much of Alpha Trion’s suspicion.

“Yes, we are all quite surprised by this turn of events.”

“I...didn’t know,” Damus admitted slowly. It wasn’t a lie, but a bitter feeling was beginning to gnaw at his spark as he began to realize why Electrum had wanted to meet with him and why she had sounded so nervous.

_And Damus hadn’t been there._

The bitterness took on a sharp edge, and it stabbed through Damus and seemed to wedge itself there. He struggled to keep his composure, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself than he already had, but it felt as though his entire world had been yanked out from underneath him.

What was he going to do? He hadn’t planned for a sparkling. Neither of them had. Their night of passion had been…

Damus cut off his thoughts, forcing himself to straighten his posture and attempt to appear as amicable as possible. What had been planned for was in the past, and right now, in the present, Electrum needed Damus more than ever. If he did something foolish and got himself arrested, or worse, then he would be of no help to her. He needed to get out of here and get help. Find some way to get Electrum safely into his arms so that he could take care of her...and their child.

But first…

“I apologize...for my intrusion,” Damus said, still picking his words carefully. He had to get out of here, but he couldn’t simply turn and run. That would most likely get him shot in the back. “It’s just that...I had gotten something for Electrum and when I heard that she had been brought in for medical attention, I assumed the worst.”

His optics narrowing, Alpha Trion crossed his arms.

“And why would you want to bring Electrum something? And what could it possibly be?”

“I...I’d just-just seen her in passing,” Damus lied. “I thought she was...very beautiful and I wanted to give her a gift. A-a gift of adoration, I guess.”

Though he wasn’t entirely convinced, before Alpha Trion could speak, Pharma stepped up beside him.

“Even if it is a simple gift of adoration, it could help improve Electrum’s spirits when she is conscious,” Pharma murmured, his gaze occasionally flicking over to Damus.

Alpha Trion gave the medijet a puzzled look, but he was in no position to question the medic’s advice. As mundane as the gift may be, if it helped improve Electrum’s spirits, then so be it. So, with that, Alpha Trion turned back to Damus and held out a hand.

“Very well. If you insist.”

“Th-thank you,” Damus replied, nervously handing over what he had been guarding so closely. “Please...make sure Electrum gets this.”

When the music box was placed in his palm, Alpha Trion stared at it in mute surprise for a long moment. It was finely made, with gold lining and beautiful embellishments, and appeared to be much more than just a simple ‘gift of adoration’.

“Well, this is...not what I expected,” he finally stated, carefully closing his hand around the music box. “Even so, I will ensure that Electrum gets this. On one condition.”

“Condition?” Damus repeated questioningly.

“Yes. That you _never_ bother Electrum again.”

The words stung at his spark a little more than he thought they should, but Damus disregarded the pain. Alpha Trion’s words were just that, and there was nothing that was going to keep Damus and Electrum apart for much longer.

“I understand. I’ll leave her alone.”

Unfortunately, Damus had no way of knowing how his words would come back to haunt him.

 

* * *

 

Though her condition stabilized, Electrum continued to drift in and out of consciousness, and any time she was able to find her voice, it was weak and what she said was almost always incoherent. Nonetheless, Alpha Trion had hoped to question her about the music box that Damus had brought her, as it had raised his suspicions ever since the outlier had handed it over. Even though Pharma, and eventually Ratchet, admonished him not to do any sort of questioning, Alpha Trion couldn’t shake the feeling that there was much more going on between Damus and Electrum.

Fortunately, if it could be thought of in that manner, the sparkling inside Electrum appeared to be growing healthily, and though it was a constant drain on the femme’s energy levels, the sparkling itself didn’t seem to be in any peril. Disturbingly enough, Alpha Trion didn’t find as much solace in this fact as he thought he should. Perhaps it was the state that the sparkling had put Electrum in, or perhaps it was the missing sire, but whatever the reason, Alpha Trion couldn’t help but feel a small degree of disdain for the unborn sparkling.

Now, though, he was more focused on waiting to see if Electrum would regain consciousness long enough for him to ask her about the music box. Alpha Trion only had a little bit of a reprieve from his work, and then he would have to leave the femme, once more, in the care of the medics present. He had instructed them to-

A soft sound from Electrum as she shifted feebly on the berth made Alpha Trion snap out of his thoughts, and he immediately turned his attention to the femme. He rose from his seat and walked over to the side of the berth, watching Electrum closely to see if she would fully rouse. It only took a few minutes, and eventually Electrum’s cerulean optics fluttered open and slowly looked around the room before focusing on Alpha Trion.

“Where…’m I?” Electrum whispered, sounding confused.

Alpha Trion inwardly sighed. It seemed that each time Electrum did regain consciousness, whoever was watching over her had to remind her where she was. While it was to be expected, it certainly was disheartening.

“You’re in the hospital,” Alpha Trion answered, trying to keep his voice as quiet and soothing as possible. “You collapsed and had to be brought here.”

“...sparkling?”

“They are fine.” Alpha Trion watched as Electrum’s dim gaze went to her midsection, which was already showing obvious signs of her carrying. “Currently, you are of a far greater concern.”

“...don’t...understand.”

“It’s alright that you do not understand, Electrum,” Alpha Trion crooned, not wanting to waste precious time answering all of the femme’s questions that she would undoubtedly have the next time she awoke from unconsciousness. “There is, however, something that I need to ask you about. Something very important.”

Though she didn’t answer verbally, Electrum managed to tilt her helm to the side questioningly. Alpha Trion took the cue and plucked up the music box from the berthside table, and then held it in front of Electrum’s field of vision. He watched for any sort of reaction, and found himself a bit frustrated when there was none, but he wasn’t done just yet.

“Glitch, the empurata outlier, also known as Damus, brought this for you,” Alpha Trion explained, tilting the music box just a little to show off just how elegant it was. “It’s incredibly well made. Why, Electrum? Why would Glitch bring this to you?”

Struggling to focus on the music box, Electrum regarded it with both curiosity and bewilderment, before looking up at Alpha Trion with the same expression.

“Glitch?”

“Yes, Glitch. The outlier. The empurata victim.”

“...not Glitch. Damus.”

Shaking his helm briefly, trying not to get irritated with how little progress they were making, Alpha Trion then nodded in an attempt to try a different approach. He held the music box a little closer.

“Yes, Damus. Why did he bring you this?”

“It’s...pretty.”

“Yes, it is, but why would _Damus_ bring you this? How does he know you?”

“...very pretty.”

Frowning, Alpha Trion slumped a little in defeat. This wasn’t going anywhere, and he was only exhausting Electrum further. Perhaps after the sparkling was born, the femme would be able to answer Alpha Trion’s questions. While he wasn’t very pleased with having to wait that long to find out why Damus had gone to such great lengths to bring Electrum the music box, Alpha Trion also knew that if he worsened Electrum’s condition, he may never get the information that he sought.

“Yes. It’s very pretty,” he agreed, setting it back on the berthside table. “I...need to go now, Electrum, but if you do remember why Damus would bring you such a pretty music box, don’t hesitate to let me know, okay?”

Even though she nodded, Alpha Trion highly doubted that Electrum fully understood what he was asking of her. Even so, he needed to leave for now, and he could only hope that his inquiries eventually got through to her and she would be able to answer them properly.

“Take care, my dear.”

Watching him leave, Electrum remained silent, but didn’t go back into recharge. Even though her thoughts were jumbled and over half of them didn’t seem to make sense, she still knew better than to answer any questions that Alpha Trion might have had about Damus. Nothing good could come of them, and in her state, Electrum knew that she wouldn’t be able to help shield the outlier.

The thought of Damus brought back a familiar pain that seemed to have made its home in her spark, and Electrum reflexively rested her hand on her slightly swollen midsection to try and comfort herself. Now, though, there was something else for her to focus on, too, and the femme let her helm roll to the side so that she could look at the music box that rested on the berthside table.

Alpha Trion was right. It was a very pretty music box. In fact, Electrum found herself rather touched that Damus had gone to such lengths to get her an item that was so beautiful. It helped soothe the ache in her spark, and, with a trembling hand, she reached over and picked it up. She fought to keep her hands steady, not wanting to risk dropping the delicate item, and then slowly lifted the lid.

What greeted her both surprised and warmed her spark.

It was a set of miniatures, a couple, actually, who appeared to be in the middle of a dance. They were made of gold and bore a striking resemblance to...well, to Damus and Electrum. A slow and gentle melody played from the music box now that it was open, and Electrum held it a little closer, cupping her hands around it. She shuttered her optics, letting herself focus solely on the feel of the music box in her hands and the sound of the song playing through the air.

And even though her spark still ached from Damus’s absence, Electrum couldn’t deny that the music box, however small, helped fill the void by a small bit.

She listened to the melody play over and over, until her exhaustion pulled at her frame to the point that she could not fight it off any more. Reluctantly, Electrum closed the music box and set it back on the berthside. She rested her hands on her midsection, stroking it slowly to provide wordless comfort to her unborn sparkling, and relaxed back into the plush bedding of the berth. As frustrating as it was, she was still too weak to be able to do anything but stay here.

Hopefully, though, she would soon be able to change that. Even if Damus hadn’t been there when she had asked to see him, there was a large part of Electrum that believed and hoped that the mech had a good reason for having been absent. The music box gave her more hope than she really wanted to dare to have, but Electrum couldn’t help it. The gift was so thoughtful that it spoke volumes to the femme.

Damus still obviously cared about her.

 

* * *

 

“What do you mean I can’t go to her!? It’s been months!” Damus cried, both confused and frustrated by what he was being told.

“You’re correct. It’s been months, Damus,” Megatron affirmed with a nod, his arms crossed and posture stoic. “If she truly cared about the world that we are planning, then she would have at least tried to reach out to you.”

“But you don’t understand, she...she was ill when I last saw her. And Alpha Trion was watching over her. He would have-”

“Would have what? Monitored every word said and transmission sent?”

Bitterly falling silent, Damus looked away, feeling a horrible sensation beginning to well up in his spark. This wasn’t the first time that he and Megatron had had this discussion, but with each one, the outlier found himself thinking, fearing, that his mentor was correct.

There had been nothing but silence on Electrum’s side, despite Damus’s attempts to contact her, and after this length of time, he had thought that she would at least be able to reply. Perhaps she still couldn’t meet him, but at the very least, a simple reply would have been possible, wouldn’t it?

“I know this distresses you, Damus, and you have my condolences for your loss,” Megatron continued. He then ventilated a short sigh and shook his helm.”However, you must realize that in order to proceed with what I have planned for you, for you to attain your full potential, you’ll have to leave behind all remnants of your past life.”

As daunting as the idea was, Damus found that now, in the face of Electrum’s absence, it didn’t seem as unappealing as it initially had. Megatron hadn’t led him astray since the day that Damus had first spoken to them, so how could now be any different? And, as painful as it seemed now, maybe it was best that he leave Electrum behind. After all, it seemed that all that them being together brought was misery and heartache.

“I just...feel like a fool for having-”

“Having what? Wanted a better life for the two of you?” Megatron interrupted, quirking a helm ridge. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Damus. It’s something that practically all of us want in some shape, form, or fashion. However, it is quite possible that it simply wasn’t meant to be between you and Electrum. There is no telling what the future holds, but you _know_ what will happen if you continue down your current path. Don’t you?”

Ventilating a long sigh, his gaze falling, Damus thought over what had been proposed to him. Megatron had chosen him, out of all the Cybertronians that dutifully followed the silver tankformer, to take up a mantle that was full of promise. It was a mantle that not many could have carried, so the fact that Megatron believed Damus to be strong enough was all the more humbling.

Perhaps...perhaps it was for the best, in that case, that he leave Electrum behind. At least, maybe just for a little while. Enough to give Damus time to adjust to his responsibilities and to prove to Megatron that he could be trusted and relied upon. Then maybe, just maybe, he could finally have Electrum and their child at his side.

“Forgive me, Lord Megatron,” Damus murmured, his gaze still downcast. “Sometimes I am too stubborn for my own good, it seems.”

“No need to apologize for one of the traits that I find most outstanding in you, Damus. Your dedication and devotion are to be admired, and I believe that others can find inspiration in those traits to better themselves.” The silver mech chuckled lightly and shifted his weight. “Your only downfall, if one could call it that, is that you’re worrying too much about things that either haven’t happened yet, or have already been decided.”

The words, for reasons that Damus couldn’t quite pinpoint, seemed to weigh down on his spark. It felt like too much of his life, both in the past and future, had been decided without his consent. However, there was no way that he could argue with Megatron, as the silver mech was far wiser than Damus could ever hope to be.

It was only when Megatron set a hand on Damus’s shoulder that it pulled the outlier out of their thoughts, and Damus couldn’t help but look up hopefully at the mech he had come to idolize.

“I have something to ask of you, Damus. It will require great sacrifice, but it would confirm and create you into one of the few mechs that I could trust without question,” Megatron continued, a small, odd smile playing on his features as he spoke. “Is this something I can speak to you about?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Very good. I knew that I could,” Megatron stated with an approving nod. He then began to guide Damus a little further back into the room that they were in. “It would involve completely recreating yourself into someone new…”

 

* * *

 

As the months progressed, whatever hope Electrum had that Damus still cared for her gradually, depressingly, waned. Her condition, though stable, never seemed to improve, and both Ratchet and Pharma agreed that part of it was, undoubtedly, due to Damus’s absence. Without the outlier’s presence, it seemed that Electrum was content to remain bedridden. While they hoped that the birth of her sparkling would rouse her from her near catatonic state, neither medic could say for certain that it would. ...which frustrated Alpha Trion to no end.

While he had eventually sent out word for Damus to be found and brought back to the hospital, if anything to confirm suspicions that it would help improve Electrum’s state of being, the searches had come back with no results. Alpha Trion wasn’t going to deny that he found that fact very suspicious. How hard could it be to find an empurata victim that could destroy mechs with a simple touch?

Regardless, Damus seemed to elude any and all searches, and after a while, Alpha Trion had called of the searches. Either Damus was dead or had found himself allies that could hide him better than most. Either way, Alpha Trion was content with the potential of having the outlier permanently out of the way. He was certain that Electrum would be better, in the long haul, without the irritating mech, and time would be the best healer.

As the due date for the sparkling neared, Electrum did seem to be a little more responsive and coherent of her surroundings, though she seemed to be fixated on the music box every time she awoke. She would answer a few questions, though it was limited to only a few. Fortunately, it appeared that her coherency, memory and overall well-being appeared to be improving, as Alpha Trion had anticipated.

So, after a few weeks of Electrum’s condition having continued to improve, Alpha Trion began to formulate a plan as to how to approach the subject of Damus once again. While he knew that the absence of the mech continued to be a sore subject for Electrum, there was also no avoiding the topic by now. Alpha Trion had a nagging suspicion that Damus knew more about the sparkling that Electrum was carrying than they had initially let on, and coupled with how close the outlier seemed to be to Electrum, it raised questions that needed to be answered.

Unfortunately, that all came to a screeching halt when whispers and rumors came to Alpha Trion’s attention that Damus was no more, and in their place was the terrifying, masked zealot known as Tarn.

At first, Alpha Trion had dismissed it as ramblings from mechs with overactive imaginations, but then he saw the surveillance recordings. The horrifying, senseless surveillance recordings of mechs being butchered with no remorse. Soldiers and civilians alike were cut down as though they were nothing, with Tarn leaving a bloody path in their wake.

Disbelief had returned, but this time it was Alpha Trion wanting to will away the deplorable images. He knew that there had been unrest and that it had been costly in both resources and lives, but he couldn’t have imagined that it would have reached points like these. It was even harder to believe that underneath that massive frame now called Tarn was the spark of an empurata victim named Damus.

Now Alpha Trion had a problem. A very big one. It was now imperative that he speak to Electrum about Damus, or Tarn, but Alpha Trion knew that Electrum would not take the news well. He worried what it would do to both her mental and physical state, but it was a risk that Alpha Trion would have to take. They had lost far too much time with Electrum being in her catatonic state, and with the recent turn of events, it was now or never.

Alpha Trion just hoped that Ratchet and Pharma didn’t ban him from the hospital permanently.

 

* * *

 

The room was blurry. It always was when Electrum first woke up. It was as though her optics had forgotten how to focus during her time in the hospital. With a wince, the femme groaned quietly and waited for her vision to clear, shifting her weight slowly and carefully on the medical berth. Her entire frame felt so much heavier because...well, because it was.

There was no mistaking now that Electrum was carrying, and even though she had been resting for so long, the femme knew that her sparkling was due soon. She could sense their presence in her thoughts, in her spark, stronger than ever before, and on occasion would feel the unborn sparkling kick or move around inside her gestation chamber.

A faint, bittersweet smile on her features, Electrum gently caressed her swollen midsection, offering wordless reassurance to her child that she was still there and loved them very, very much. As much as it pained her, the femme wished that Damus could be present, at the very least, for the birth of their child. The fact that the mech had been absent through everything, and hadn’t even sent so much as a single transmission or anything after the music box stung straight to Electrum’s spark.

Why hadn’t Damus even given so much as a single reason for him disappearing? Did he no longer care about Electrum or their child? What if something had happened?

It wasn’t like the question hadn’t crossed Electrum’s thoughts before, but now, for some reason, it sent a chill through Electrum. She hugged herself tightly, pulling some of the bedding up around her, in an attempt to calm herself. Even though the conversation had been through a midst of exhaustion, she remembered Ratchet advising her that her upset could, in turn, upset her unborn sparkling. So it was in both their best interests for Electrum to remain as calm as possible.

When the warm bedding didn’t do the trick, Electrum reached over and picked up the music box that had remained on her berthside table. Even if it had been given to her by someone who possibly no longer cared about her, the item itself brought quite a degree of comfort. With great care, Electrum opened the music box, smiling softly when the pretty, melodic tune greeted her. After a few moments, she held the music box a little closer to her midsection, wanting her unborn sparkling to hear the music box as well.

As if in response, Electrum felt a soft kick from the sparkling, and the femme couldn’t help but giggle a little as she caressed her swollen midsection. Humming along with the tune, feeling whatever unease she initially had had fading, Electrum relaxed into the berth and began to slip back into recharge…

...and then the door to her room opened and Alpha Trion walked in.

Startling with a gasp, Electrum quickly held the music box close to her, trying to conceal it from Alpha Trion’s gaze. She began to sit up, but struggled with the action, and would have continued had the mech not held up their hand to stop her.

“Please, Electrum, stay at ease,” Alpha Trion chided gently, walking over to the femme’s berthside. He had an odd smile on his features, and something seemed a little off. “How are you feeling today?”

“Better,” Electrum replied slowly, still holding the music box close to her. She paused, then continued. “We’re both feeling better.”

“Good, good,” Alpha Trion stated with a nod. He paused for a moment, then pulled a chair over so that he could sit down. “I had wondered how your sparkling was faring. It’s...due very soon, isn’t it?”

“Yes, they are,” Electrum murmured softly, her gaze drifting down. “They’ve been pretty active, lately, too.”

“That seems like a good sign to me. A sign of a strong and healthy sparkling.” Alpha Trion hesitated, appearing unsure if he should continue speaking. It unnerved Electrum, but before she could ask them what was wrong, the mech kept going. “I understand that this is very poor timing, but there is something of grave importance I need to discuss with you.”

Frowning in concern, Electrum carefully sat up a little and set aside the music box, before turning her attention back to Alpha Trion. She clasped her hands atop her midsection, resisting the urge to rub them together in worry. While she hoped that the subject wasn’t too dire, Electrum also knew that Alpha Trion was not one to exaggerate.

“What-what is it?” she asked, finally finding her voice.

“It is about Damus.”

Though on the outside she froze, Electrum felt her spark sink. She gritted her dentae to keep herself from making any sort of outward reaction, still not wanting to risk letting Alpha Trion know any more than he possibly did. However, judging by the look on his face, the mech knew far more than he had when he first caught Electrum after her meeting with Damus.

“Damus?” Electrum inquired, trying to feign innocence. “What about-”

“Electrum, please,” Alpha Trion interrupted with a sigh. He shook his helm and gave the femme a knowing look. “I know that you two are far closer than what either of you have let on. I need you to be honest with me….please.”

Biting down on her bottom lip, Electrum looked down at her hands, then back up at Alpha Trion. She studied his expression for a long moment, nervous to admit to what the mech undoubtedly already knew. After a moment, Electrum sighed heavily and nodded her helm in agreement.

“Thank you.” Alpha Trion stopped, wanting to save the worst of the news for the last in case he was unable to get any more information from Electrum afterwards. “Am I correct in assuming that you and Damus know each other?”

Electrum nodded.

“Well?”

Another nod.

“For quite some time?”

Again, another nod.

“How well do you know each other?” Alpha Trion asked cautiously.

The fact that Electrum remained both quiet and still made Alpha Trion tense, but he quickly hid the reaction and tried to remain as amicable as possible. If he were to get upset now, it would only make things worse. He waited for a few moments, giving the femme time to answer on her own.

“Very...very well,” Electrum finally replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ventilating a short sigh as his worst concerns were confirmed, Alpha Trion hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“Have you heard from him since you were brought here?”

A bitter look crossed Electrum’s features and she shook her helm slowly.

The answer caught Alpha Trion by surprise, as he had expected there to be at least some sort of communication between the two. Secret communication, of course, but communication between the two, nonetheless.

“Nothing at all?” The question tumbled out before Alpha Trion had a chance to censor himself.

Pain beginning to mingle with the bitterness on Electrum’s expression, the femme shook her helm again, this time a little more strongly.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to press the subject that far,” Alpha Trion quickly added, not wanting Electrum to fall back into her catatonia.

Fortunately, the femme lifted her gaze, and even though she seemed a little suspicious of Alpha Trion’s sincerity, she still appeared coherent. She gave a small nod, but kept quiet.

Ventilating another, long sigh, Alpha Trion steeled himself over for the next line of questions. He knew that these wouldn’t be pleasant for Electrum to answer, but he needed to know. It was imperative, given the way things had panned out.

“Does he know about the sparkling?”

Electrum shook her helm.

“I see. Is he…” Alpha Trion drifted off, but quickly regained his composure. He had to continue on. “Is he the sparkling’s sire?”

Though she froze, Electrum bit down on her bottom lip. Her frame trembled and she hugged herself tightly, drawing the bedding up around her. Finally, though, a sharp sob escaped her and she nodded.

Feeling his spark go cold, Alpha Trion bit down on his glossa to keep himself from reflexively answering. He quickly ran through his thoughts, wanting to keep them in line and under control. He reminded himself that what was done was done, and that-

Electrum was giving Alpha Trion an expectant look, worry written plainly on her expression. The mech would have missed the look had he lost his temper, but, fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Making a short noise and giving a nod, Alpha Trion straightened his posture in his seat and tried to appear as calm as he could.

“Well, that is...rather unexpected,” he continued. “I was unaware that you two were _that_ close. However, I suppose that knowing that now, it makes sense that Damus was so adamant to get you that music box.”

Her gaze flicked over to the decorative box for a moment before going back to Alpha Trion, and Electrum sighed shortly. She should have known that the truth would eventually come out, she just had hoped it wouldn’t be under circumstances where she felt so alone.

“What...happens now?” she asked quietly. There was a part of her that feared that her sparkling would be taken from her, and even if Damus...didn’t want the youngling, Electrum most assuredly did.

“Unfortunately, there’s more,” Alpha Trion stated gravely.

“More?”

Nodding, Alpha Trion leveled a solemn look at Electrum, one that made the femme shiver, before speaking. Whatever it was that the mech wanted to ask her about, it couldn’t be good.

“Does the name Tarn mean anything to you?”

‘Tarn’?

Electrum blinked blankly at Alpha Trion. In the back of her mind, she had faint memories of news reports of a mech that was calling himself that. All the details that she could recall weren’t good ones. They were of slaughter and bloodshed, a massive loss of life and utter fear. If anything, she had tried to redact the memories from her mind, as they did nothing but bring her nightmares.

“I...I’ve only heard a little about him,” Electrum admitted. “What I’ve heard...wasn’t good, so I tried not to focus on it too much. Why do you ask?”

The fact that Alpha Trion visibly hesitated only made Electrum more nervous, and she tilted her helm to the side in a wordless effort to get the mech to answer.

“We have good reason, and the intel to back it up, to believe that Tarn is Damus.”

For a brief moment, Electrum appeared frozen. She stared at Alpha Trion, emotionless and silent. Damus...was Tarn? Shy, cautious Damus was the bloodthirsty, maniacal monster that the news reports constantly reviled? Her Damus had become...that nightmare?

“N-no,” Electrum finally stammered out, shaking her helm. “There-there must be some mistake. That-that th-thing can’t be Damus.”

“I’m sorry, Electrum,” Alpha Trion said softly, reaching out to place a comforting hand on the femme’s shoulder. “It’s almost certainly-”

“No!” Electrum shrieked, causing Alpha Trion to jerk back. “No! You’re wrong! D-Damus would never, never be something like that-that _thing_!”

Alarmed at how quickly Electrum had gotten upset, Alpha Trion stood up and set his hands on her shoulders, trying to keep her as calm as he could. He’d anticipated some distress at the news, but nothing like this.

“Electrum, please, you need to remain-”

“Stop it!” Electrum jerked away from Alpha Trion’s touch, ripping free from some of the monitoring cables. She fixed a tearful scowl at the mech, her wings beating rapidly in anger. “ _You_ did this! _You_ forced him away!”

The accusations were completely unexpected, and, as far as Alpha Trion was concerned, completely unwarranted. His optics narrowed and he set his hands back on Electrum’s shoulders, this time firmer in an attempt to hold her still. Her wings continued to flutter wildly, and Alpha Trion fought to make sure that he didn’t accidentally hurt her...or that she accidentally hurt herself.

“Electrum! Enough! There’s no reason to get this upset!”

“Leave me alone! Get _off_ me!” Electrum shrieked, trying to pry Alpha Trion’s hands off her shoulders. “It’s _your_ fault! If you hadn’t-hadn’t-!”

A sudden, stabbing twist of pain right through her midsection cut Electrum off mid-protest, pulling a sharp gasp from her as she doubled over. The pain didn’t ease. If anything, it seemed to get worse and spread through her entire frame, radiating right from where her unborn sparkling rest. It was severe enough that within moments, all Electrum could do was whimper and cry as she clutched tightly at her swollen midsection, as though she could somehow mitigate the agony with her touch.

“Electrum? What’s wrong!?” Alpha Trion asked worriedly, looking over the femme quickly. “What is it?!”

“Hurts! Hurts!”

Not wanting to waste any more time, Alpha Trion pivoted and slammed down the emergency call button on the wall. Down the hallway, regardless of the door being shut, he could hear the alarm blare. He only hoped that Ratchet and Pharma would arrive in time.

 

* * *

 

Even though it felt as though he had been pacing forever outside the operating room, Alpha Trion logically knew that it had only been a short while since Electrum had been taken in. While he didn’t know anything, yet, he felt a little bit of reassurance that it was Ratchet and Pharma would had responded to the emergency call.

Just as his patience was beginning to wear thin, the door to the operating room slid open and a rather haggard looking Ratchet walked out. Though it was apparent that the medic had cleaned their hands, there were still flecks of Energon covering them. The sight made Alpha Trion’s frame chill, and he could only hope that his worst fears weren’t confirmed...again.

“How is she?”

“She’s...stable,” Ratchet sighed. He then gave Alpha Trion a pointed look. “And we were able to save her sparkling. They both should make full recoveries.”

“Good, that’s...that’s good to hear,” Alpha Trion replied quietly. He wasn’t sure how to react to the news of the sparkling’s welfare. Of course, he didn’t want harm to come of it, but given its lineage...what were they to do with the youngling.

“What did you _say_ to her?” Ratchet demanded, his voice a low hiss.

The vehemence from the medic was a bit surprising, though it should have been expected. Alpha Trion had been warned numerous times to avoid upsetting Electrum, and it seemed he’d managed to do the exact opposite.

“I…” Alpha Trion sighed and straightened his posture. Even if the ire was warranted, he wasn’t going to act like some sort of kicked turbofox. He had at least that much dignity. “I asked her about her relationship with Damus, who is the sire of the sparkling, I might add.”

“There’s no way that that’s all,” Ratchet snapped, optics narrowed. “What else did you tell her?”

“I also told her that Damus is now Tarn.”

The anger on his features mixed with horror, and Ratchet stared at Alpha Trion in disbelief. For a moment, it appeared that the medic was unable to speak...but he quickly found his voice.

“You told her _that_!?” Ratchet whispered harshly.

“I needed to know,” Alpha Trion snapped back. “She needed to know. She’s the carrier to that monster’s offspring!”

“Keep your voice down,” Ratchet ordered steely, glancing around to see if anybody else had heard them talking. When he was satisfied that it appeared nobody had, the medic continued. “How could you have thought that would do anything _but_ upset her?”

“Would you rather I have waited? Waited and taken the risk that the sire would have come tearing through here to reclaim their lover and child?”

Ratchet fell silent, scowling down at the floor. As maddening as it may have been, Alpha Trion did have a point. While it was a chance that Tarn could have come back for Electrum and the sparkling, it was too great a chance to risk. Ratchet knew that Tarn wouldn’t have given any semblance of mercy to the patients in the hospital. If anything, the masked mech would have most likely butchered them out of some sort of sadistic enjoyment.

“No. But you could have used a little more tact,” Ratchet eventually replied, his tone still icy.

“I attempted to, I-” Alpha Trion cut himself off. It was pointless to argue at this point. He made a short sigh and then looked back to Ratchet. “Where is the sparkling?”

“It’s currently in the nursery. Why?”

“We need to move it,” Alpha Trion stated firmly.

“Have you lost your mind?” Ratchet demanded, struggling to keep his voice down. “You want to separate a newborn sparkling from its carrier?!”

“To keep it from falling in the clutches of its sire and to protect its carrier from said sire, yes.”

Again, Ratchet fell into bitter silence. He could only quarrel with Alpha Trion so far, but why they wanted to take away Electrum’s sparkling was beyond the medic. So, once he’d gotten his temper back under control, Ratchet gave Alpha Trion a pointed look.

“Are you so certain that the sire would return for the sparkling? They haven’t seemed to show much interest in it, or Electrum, thus far.”

“While you’re correct, what’s to say they won’t seek Electrum and the sparkling out now that the sparkling has been born?” Alpha Trion reasoned. To a certain degree, he wasn’t sure if he believed what he was saying. However, the idea of Tarn getting their hands on a sparkling, whose thoughts and mind could be easily molded, was absolutely appalling. “Particularly if they’re as much of a zealot to the Decepticon Cause as the rumors say they are.”

Mulling over the thought, Ratchet ventilated a long sigh. Every shred of medical knowledge he had told him to keep the sparkling with their carrier, and that nothing good could come from separating the two. However, there would also be nothing good to come from Tarn kidnapping the sparkling. Why Alpha Trion was so concerned about the sparkling’s well-being now was a little suspicious, to say the least, but Ratchet couldn’t think of an even halfway decent argument in regards to that.

“Do you know of a place that the sparkling would be safe?” Ratchet finally inquired, his voice low.

“I do. There is a place, an...orphanage, for lack of a better word, but for sparklings that are created under special, sometimes extreme, circumstances. I believe that Electrum’s sparkling more than qualifies.” Alpha Trion glanced around, not wanting anyone to overhear him. “I can take the sparkling there as soon as they are healthy enough. I can assure you that they would be well cared for...and well guarded.”

Though there was still a small voice screaming at him not to let Alpha Trion take the sparkling, Ratchet knew that he had little choice. He could either let the sparkling go willingly, or he could cause an uproar and make Alpha Trion use executive power and go over medical authority. Either way, Electrum would most likely be distraught, but one might leave her with less of a sense of spark-breaking betrayal.

And Primus knew that the unfortunate femme had had enough of that.

“Fine,” Ratchet stated in defeat. He then looked at Alpha Trion narrowly. “If you can guarantee that the sparkling will be well taken care of and there is practically no chance of them ending up in Tarn’s clutches, then you should be able to take the sparkling out of the nursery within a few hours.”

“Very good.” Alpha Trion began to leave, then stopped and looked back to Ratchet. “And what are we to tell Electrum?”

Even though it made him sick to even think of it, Ratchet already knew what he was going to tell Electrum.

“We’ll…” The medic sighed heavily and shook his helm. “We’ll tell her that the sparkling didn’t make it. Hopefully, it won’t hurt her as bad as it would to know she’s been betrayed by the ones who were  meant to protect her.”

Though he noticed the verbal barb, Alpha Trion said nothing. There really was nothing more to say, given the circumstances.

 

* * *

 

The nursery was warm, and would have even felt cozy had there not been a heavy feeling on Alpha Trion’s spark. He followed the nurse in silence, gaze flicking over the other, few protoforms that were recharging soundly in their cribs. Reminding himself that what he was about to do was for all their sakes’, Alpha Trion stopped when he reached the crib that Electrum sparkling was resting in.

The little femmeling was bundled up and appeared to be warm and content. She was recharging peacefully, and even seemed to have the smallest hint of a smile.

“Here she is,” the nurse stated icily. “Try not to wake her.”

As she walked away, Alpha Trion thought he heard the nurse mutter a disparaging remark under her breath, but he paid it no heed.

It had been ages since he had last held a protoform, and Alpha Trion worried about accidentally rousing the little one from their recharge. Even so, there wasn’t much choice in the matter, so Alpha Trion, with as much care as he could manage, scooped up the femmeling from the crib.

Making a quiet whine and squirming around in the mech’s arms, the femmeling appeared as though she might awaken. Reflexively stifling his ventilation and stopping, not wanting to make any further movements or noises, Alpha Trion stared down at the youngling with wide optics. Fortunately, after a bit more wiggling around in the warm swaddling, the femmeling fell still and went back into her deep, quiet recharge.

Ventilating a sigh of relief, Alpha Trion then carefully made his way out of the nursery. He tried to hurry, but kept his steps even so as to not wake the youngling in his arms. As he left, the mech found himself unable to completely ignore the disgusted, scathing looks that medics and nurses alike favored him with.

If only they knew.

 

* * *

 

Even though her pace was urgent, Electrum couldn’t deny the strong sense of uneasiness in her spark. It was the only thing that was currently doing anything to blot out the agony that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in her spark. It seemed that the universe was content on ripping away any and all traces of Damus from her.

First, it had been Damus himself that had been turned into a nightmare. Then, her beloved sparkling, a daughter that she had never even gotten the chance to see, had been taken.

Fighting back tears, Electrum made her way through the nighttime crowds. She made sure to keep a low profile, knowing that it had most likely already been discovered that she had escaped from the hospital. If there weren’t guards already out looking for here, there would be soon. Electrum knew that while Alpha Trion may have meant well, he couldn’t keep her from at least trying to find Damus.

...no, not Damus. Tarn.

Electrum was going to find Tarn. She was going to find him and see if there was any shred of her dear Damus left.

Ducking to the left quickly to avoid being seen by a relatively large crowd of mechs, Electrum made her way down an alleyway. She knew that it wouldn’t be too difficult to _find_ Tarn, given that he was leaving a bloody trail in his wake. Trying to talk to him, however, could very well be an entirely different matter. Regardless, though, she had to try. There weren’t really any other options.

Her resolve reaffirmed, Electrum quickened her pace as she made her way towards the nearest set of docking bays. It wouldn’t be too difficult to find a ship that would take her to where she needed to go. What would be difficult, however, would be finding one that had a safe enough crew. Most that were safe enough were also sane enough not to go near the warzones that Tarn had been seen in. So, that meant that Electrum would have to take her chances with...less than savory types if she wanted to get to her destination.

But if she could talk to Damu-Tarn, it would be all worth it.

So when Electrum met the bounty hunter that had agreed to transport her, the femme managed to keep a straight face even as he loomed over her and let his gaze drift over her frame.

Lockdown was an imposing mech, no question about it. His armor seemed to form sharp points at every edge, and along with the fact that he was missing one hand and had replaced it with a hook, all made for a very intimidating appearance. Under any other circumstances, Electrum would have turned heel and sprinted away from a mech with Lockdown’s appearance, but it was different now.

“You must be Electrum,” the bounty hunter growled roughly, his gaze still lazily going over the femme.

“Yes, I am. And I presume you’re Lockdown?”

“You _presume_ correctly.” Lockdown motioned to the ship behind him that was docked. It was dark and foreboding, and even seemed to resemble its owner to a degree. Suppressing a shiver, Electrum looked back to the larger mech whenever they continued. “That’s the ship. You bring the money?”

Only able to nod by now, Electrum handed over what she had brought. It was a substantial sum, and was almost everything she had, but there was a part of her that had grimly decided she may not need that many shanix for much longer. She looked up expectantly at Lockdown as he looked over the money, partially worried that he may rob her right then and there.

Fortunately, however, the bounty hunter gave a quick, approving nod, then jerked his helm in the direction of his ship.

“Get on board. We’ll be leaving as soon as you’re ready to go.”

Following Lockdown onto the ship, Electrum resisted the urge to look around as she did so. As much as her curiosity nagged at her, she didn’t want to risk being seen. Especially now, when she was so close to being able to leave and get to Tarn.

As the door slid shut behind them and there was the hiss of the airlock engaging, Electrum finally allowed herself to look around the ship. It looked almost exactly how she had thought-no, feared that a ship belonging to a bounty hunter would. There were various weapons and tools of the unsavory trade hanging from the walls, and on one wall of the ship was a set of tally marks that had been carved into the metal. Whatever the tally marks represented, Electrum was happy not knowing.

She watched as Lockdown started up the ship, then turned her attention to the docking bay as it drifted away as the ship began to fly into air space. To the ship’s credit, it flew smoothly and seemed to maneuver well, which was appreciated. As nervous and stressed as Electrum was, had the ride been rough, she most likely would have been ill.

“So…” Lockdown started, tapping in a few more controls into the main panel before turning to Electrum. “Found out who exactly this Tarn guy is that you’re wanting to go see. You didn’t mention how damn dangerous this freak is.”

“He’s not a-”

“For that, the price went up.”

The statement made Electrum freeze, and she stared up at Lockdown with wide optics, blinking quickly. She made a few noises as she struggled to try and come up with a reply, but wasn’t sure what to say. What else could she pay with? She’d given Lockdown all of the money that she’d brought, and it wasn’t like she really had anything on her person that she could give. She did have the music box, but Electrum refused to hand that over. She’d sooner die than do that.

“I-I don’t know what else I can...pay you with,” Electrum stated quietly, trying to keep her voice as even as she could. Already she was starting to get a sick feeling, since it was obvious that Lockdown didn’t intend to kill her…

“Oh, I think you’ve got a pretty good idea,” Lockdown replied with a lecherous grin, leaning forward so that he could let his hook hand graze across the femme’s thigh.

Resisting the urge to slap the hook away, Electrum looked up at the mech questioningly, the sick feeling intensifying. She narrowed her optics and tried to keep her composure, but the grin that Lockdown had, which was followed by a cruel chuckle, almost made her falter.

“You can’t be serious,” she finally managed to snap, even though her voice cracked weakly.

“Oh, I’m quite serious,” Lockdown replied. He then stood up straight and shrugged, glancing over at the door of his ship. “Or I can blast you out of the airlock and you’ll have to wait for the next ship to pick you up, and, given the territory we’re in, they may not be as kind as me.”

Though she wanted to argue that Lockdown was being anything but kind at this moment, Electrum knew better. She bit down on her bottom lip, trying to quell the sick feeling that had now permeated through her entire frame. As much as it burned her, she didn’t have much choice, and they both knew it. The mere thought of what Lockdown was proposing, no, forcing on her was revolting, but Electrum couldn’t risk the bounty hunter’s wrath and then being abandoned in the middle of dead space.

“Fine. Just be quick about it,” she replied, trying to sound as though she were still in control.

“Hah! You’re a sweet, naive, little thing,” Lockdown sneered, eyeing the femme. “You’re in no place to make any kind of demands, and I plan to take my time.”

 

* * *

 

The next few hours were little more than a painful, horrifying, grotesque blur to Electrum. She retreated back into her own mind, trying to focus on happy memories of her and Damus, the moment that Lockdown had shoved her into his personal quarters. She was even able to make herself numb enough that she barely registered the impact from when her back made contact with the berth.

Then he was on top of her, snarling perverse things that Electrum did her best to ignore. Lockdown’s grip on her hip was tight to the point that it hurt, but Electrum kept her dentae tightly gritted. She refused to make any noises, not wanting to give the satisfaction of a reaction to the bounty hunter. Even when his hook tip dug into her inner thigh to tug at the seam of her interface panel, Electrum managed to simply squeeze her optics shut and stay quiet.

It wasn’t until he thrust into her, hard, that Electrum made a short gasp of both surprise and pain. Sharp pangs of hurt flared up from between her legs, and the femme wasn’t able to stop the first whimper that escaped her vocalizer. She clutched at the top of the berth, her entire frame jerking as Lockdown set an insistent, painfully rough pace that scraped her wings across the warm metal and jolted her insides.

The pain was only made worse by the fact that Electrum could feel Lockdown’s hot frame and ventilation against her own frame, which felt like it was being crushed by the larger mech. Even as his thrusts interrupted him, Lockdown continued to hiss things to Electrum that made her feel sick all over again.

Struggling to focus back on the happier, soothing memories of her times with Damus, Electrum kept her optics shut tight. It was bad enough that she could hear and feel Lockdown atop and inside her, and she didn’t think she could bear looking at the bounty hunter. As she remembered far better times, the femme quietly pleaded to anyone that could hear her to make this ordeal be done as fast as it could.

Finally, even though it had, in reality, been fifteen minutes, Electrum could hear and feel Lockdown nearing overload. The mech’s frame shuddered intermittently, making his thrusts that much rougher. Pain and disgust kept her own overload at bay, but Electrum knew that none of this had her enjoyment in mind. Lockdown’s ventilation was coming out in strong gasps, and his grip on Electrum’s thigh felt as though it were buckling the metal.

Then, mercifully, Lockdown overloaded with a perverted, triumphant, and shuddering chuckle. Electrum grimaced as she felt the warmth of his transfluid fill her, and she had to suppress the urge to gag. However, it was finally over, she hoped, and the femme slowly opened her optics. She didn’t want to risk possibly angering Lockdown into him forcing himself on her again.

“Now...that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Lockdown asked breathlessly with a sneer.

Only glowering up at him, Electrum stayed still, trying to keep her shallow ventilation steady. Fortunately, Lockdown didn’t seem to care, as he instead crushed his lips against Electrum’s for a brief, disgusting moment, before clambering off her and leaving to clean up.

For a moment, Electrum stared up at the ceiling, trying to suppress tears that threatened to break her composure. She knew that she couldn’t cry, especially now, but that didn’t mean that the desire and urge wasn’t there. Instead, though, she sat up slowly, her interface panel sliding back into place painfully after having been almost forced open. Electrum stared down at the floor, still fighting back tears.

Reminding herself that it would all be worth it if she could have Damus back with her, Electrum shakily got to her pedes. It took her a few moments to reaffirm her composure and balance, but fortunately, Lockdown didn’t bother her.

As she began to walk back to the control room, Electrum found herself grimly wishing that perhaps, before she tried to bring back Damus, she could let Tarn have some time with Lockdown.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the flight was, surprisingly and fortunately, uneventful and quiet. Electrum wasn’t able to look at Lockdown without reflexively glowering at the mech, and she couldn’t shake the sick feeling that had taken residence in the pit of her midsection. If Lockdown noticed either, he certainly didn’t show it, as he pretty much ignored Electrum the rest of the flight. It was all for the better, as Electrum had nothing to say to them. Nothing pleasant, at least.

It was only when they neared the landing spot that she heard Lockdown mutter something, and she looked up from where she had been seated. From there, she couldn’t see out the window of the cockpit, but she could see that Lockdown appeared agitated. He kept tapping in command after command, and his muttering was continuous and sounded far more tense than it had initially.

Standing up, Electrum made her way over to the cockpit, even though her legs felt like they were going to give out from under her at any moment. She tried to look over Lockdown’s shoulder so as to possibly see what was going on without actually having to ask, but the mech and the chair he was seated in was too much of an obstruction.

So, with a heavy sigh, Electrum crossed her arms loosely and made a short noise before speaking.

“What is it?”

“Well, we’re going to have pick a different landing spot, that’s for damn sure,” Lockdown replied tersely, moving to the side so that Electrum could see.

Whatever response the femme had caught in her throat when she saw what was before them.

Utter and total devastation.

Smoke curled up from broken buildings, and there were piles of what looked to be...bodies. It looked as though there had been no retreat for either side of the fight, and Electrum couldn’t tell if there had even been a victor.

“...I think so,” Electrum replied quietly.

Making a short scoff of derision, even though it was a little uneasy, Lockdown began to pilot the ship towards an empty place. It was as he did that Electrum realized that she hadn’t secured a means to get back. Although, at this rate, she was beginning to doubt that she would ever return.

“Hope you know what you’re doing,” Lockdown muttered as he landed the ship on what appeared to be the remnants of a landing pad.

“I do,” Electrum lied, even though her tone was surprisingly convincing.

Though he grumbled something about doubting the femme’s words, Lockdown kept any further remarks to himself. He’d seen enough carnage before to know that this battlefield was still very much a dangerous place to remain, and the bounty hunter had no intentions of staying here any more than he needed to. He’d been paid and done the job he’d been paid for. That was all that mattered.

As the ship landed, crunching some of the debris underneath the support treads as it did, Electrum steeled herself over. She knew that what she was about to do could be considered suicidal by some, but they weren’t there to voice their opinions. All that Electrum knew was that Damus, or Tarn, was out there, somewhere, and he needed to be brought back home.

“Good luck,” Lockdown grumbled as he lowered the docking bay ramp. “You’re going to need it.”

Ignoring the last part, as she highly doubted that Lockdown had her best interests in mind, Electrum stepped down out of the cool air of the ship to be greeted by a blast of hot air that was heavy with the stench of death. She resisted the urge to gag, instead scrunching up her features as her senses were assaulted. She didn’t look back at Lockdown’s ship, the sound of the docking bay ramp retracting and then the ship taking off enough to let Electrum know that she was on her own. And, given what had happened, Electrum was happy to be rid of the bounty hunter.

It was then that she realized that she had no idea how to find Tarn.

The thought actually made Electrum pause, and she blinked a couple times, thinking over her mistake. Her initial thought was to try and send out a wide-range, all frequencies communications ping, but there was no guarantee that Tarn would answer. Not to mention it had the very real risk of attracting unwanted attention, and that was the last thing that Electrum needed. There was no way that she could handle any sort of combat in the state that she was in.

Frowning in thought and frustration with herself, Electrum began to press forward. She knew that if she stayed put, there was very little chance that she would find Tarn. If anything, she would simply have to trust her instincts and hope that her spark and intuition would lead her in the right direction. It may have seemed like a foolhardy idea, but it was all she had right now.

She could only hope that Tarn was in a listening mood when she found him.

 

* * *

 

Hours passed, and even though her pedes ached and her frame felt heavy, Electrum kept going. Though she had tried to avoid the worst parts of the carnage, the sight of bodies and their remnants making her feel sick, it hadn’t always worked out that way. And, about halfway through her trek, Electrum realized that she probably stood a better chance of finding Tarn in the midst of the carnage, rather than away from it.

The thought of her dear, gentle Damus reveling in this sort of slaughter made Electrum’s spark feel like it was breaking.

Shaking her helm to bring herself out of her grim thoughts, Electrum refocused her thoughts. She couldn’t be distracted. Not when she could possibly run into Tarn at any moment.

As depressing as it was, Electrum was bitterly aware of how quickly she had registered Tarn as a possible threat. While the news reports and constant warnings about the masked mech’s presence and what they were capable of had laid the groundwork for her concern, the fact that she was now walking through the results of Tarn’s handiwork only solidified her worries. Tarn was a very dangerous mech and the proof was all around her. Whatever kindness Damus may have once possessed seemed to be long gone.

Sighing heavily, Electrum gave herself a moment to pause and rest, slumping down on a bench that wasn’t completely destroyed. She rested her face in her hands, resisting the urge to give up. So many thoughts, all concerning and disheartening, ran through her mind unbidden.

What if she never found Tarn? Or, worse yet, what if she did find Tarn and he simply attacked her on the spot? What if he didn’t recognize or remember her? Or what if he had no desire or intent to return with Electrum?

Groaning softly, Electrum rubbed the sides of her helm, trying to calm her racing thoughts. This kind of thinking would get her nowhere except-

“And what are _you_ doing here?”

The voice made Electrum sit bolt upright, cerulean optics wide as she looked around quickly. Her wings flitted nervously, and she slowly stood as she continued to look around for the source of the voice.

That voice.

Even if it echoed across the broken walls, and even if it sounded...harsher, there was no mistaking who the voice belonged to.

It was a voice that Electrum knew very well.

It was Damus.

It was Tarn.

Her voice catching in her throat, Electrum stood up, trying not to appear as wary as she felt. She forced her wings to tuck down against her back, and she looked around slowly. Electrum didn’t know what to expect, not sure just how Da-Tarn would look. She’d seen plenty of clips via televised warnings and newscasts, but even then, they’d been blurry and it was obvious that the unfortunate camera-mech was running for their life.

“Where are you?” Electrum called, still looking around as she slowly stepped away from the bench she had been seated on.

Unnervingly, though, Tarn didn’t answer. There was only the sound of someone approaching Electrum’s position, but even then, the sound of footfalls echoed through the air. It made it impossible for the femme to pinpoint where she should look, and it did nothing to help ease her growing worry. In fact, it ignited a sense of indignant fear in Electrum enough to the point that she found a sudden burst of anger.

“Damus! Answer me!” she yelled.

“Damus is _dead_!” came the thunderous reply.

The words seemed to cut straight through to Electrum’s spark, almost sending her to her knees. She stayed standing, though, defiance and upset keeping her knees locked. Electrum knew if she collapsed, it could very well lead to her undoing. She struggled to find her voice, though, but before she could speak, the same, all-encompassing voice echoed out again.

“That name means nothing to me.” Suddenly, the voice seemed to emanate from a single point behind Electrum, making it sound all the more imposing. “My name is _Tarn_.”

With a hoarse gasp, Electrum whirled around, her optics wide in alarm. The sight that greeted her was enough to make the femme stumble back a few paces, the back of her knees colliding with the edge of the bench and causing her to collapse back down so that she was, once again, sitting on the bench. Her wings intermittently flapped wildly in terror, and Electrum reflexively scooted back until her back was flush against the back of the bench.

The masked monster that now stalked towards her looking _nothing_ like Damus. Damus had been a lighter built frame, with a relatively friendly stature and approachable appearance. Even as a victim of empurata, Damus had always seemed to be an amicable mech. This nightmarish being...this _Tarn_ , was...horrifying. A massive tankformer that towered over Electrum, burning crimson optics that bored straight to her spark, and thick, violet armor that was spattered with Energon and flecked with gouges and scrapes. A set of twin fusion cannons, thrumming with devastating energy, were attached to Tarn’s right arm, with wisps of heat rising from the barrels. The final, unnerving detail lay in the fact that the tankformer’s face was concealed with a mask. A mask that was a carefully crafted replica of the Decepticon insignia.

“How disappointing. Do you find me that repulsive now that I’ve found my true calling?” Tarn sneered down at Electrum. Even with the mask, the tankformer’s disdain was apparent. He didn’t wait for an answer, though, instead dismissively waving his hand. “What are you doing here?”

“I…” For a moment, Electrum feared that she wouldn’t be able to speak. Fortunately, however, she was able to find her voice before Tarn could continue talking. “I came looking for you. To take you back home.”

Though Tarn didn’t answer, the fact that his optics narrowed behind his mask, piercing into Electrum’s core, was reply enough. Slowly and cautiously, the femme stood up. She wasn’t sure if she could, or should, approach the massive mech in front of her, for fear that he might lash out in anger. So, for the moment, Electrum remained standing but didn’t move back or forward.

“You wasted your time, Electrum. I’m not going back,” Tarn spat. He looked away for a brief moment before turning his burning gaze back to the femme. “That is no home to me. It never was. It was a stifling prison that was holding me back. You should know that better than anyone.”

Wincing at the sharp tone in Tarn’s voice, Electrum sighed softly and rubbed her arm. There was a sickening feeling in the pit of her midsection, but she didn’t dare flee. She couldn’t. Not after having come this far and found Tarn. Even if it meant her undoing, Electrum knew that she couldn’t retreat now. So, summoning up as much courage as she could muster, Electrum forced herself to look up at Tarn, tentatively reaching out a hand to him.

“I...I know. Then...maybe you could just come back? With me?” Electrum implored, her voice unintentionally quivering. “We can still fix things. We can...make a home for you. Just come back with me and...and we can make a home for you. With me.”

For a long moment, Tarn didn’t move and Electrum worried that he would lash out at her with renewed vitriol. Finally, though, almost mercifully, Tarn seemed to slump a little. He ventilated a long, heavy sigh as his gaze drifted down. The masked mech slowly shook his helm and looked back to Electrum, an odd mix of defeat, anger, and pity in his optics.

“You know that’s not possible, Electrum. Not after everything I have done and become,” Tarn replied, his voice quiet but steady. He studied Electrum closely, optics flicking behind his mask. “I cannot return to be at your side. I’m sorry.”

The words stung sharply at Electrum’s spark, and she couldn’t help but flinch away a little, unsure what to say. Tarn’s words brought on a feeling of defeat that weighed down heavily on her. She’d come this far, gone through so much, and even managed to find Tarn, only to be turned away with a simple apology.

“But perhaps...you could return with me?”

Tarn’s offer was a most unexpected one, and Electrum’s gaze snapped up to look at the masked mech. She opened her mouth as though to say something, but found, once again, that words failed her. The femme’s thoughts raced through her mind, completely taken aback by the idea that she would run off with Tarn and join his apparently homicidal Cause. If she was going to be honest with herself, Electrum hadn’t even considered the option.

...mostly because it was impossible.

“Damu-” Electrum stopped, shaking her helm before correcting herself. “Tarn. I’m needed back home. You know I can’t simply abandon those that need and rely on me.”

“Why not?” Tarn asked indignantly, appearing almost insulted. “Why return to those that would deny you want you want? You could have a life with me under the banner of the Cause. A life that we were denied before!”

“Your Cause is a murderous one!” Electrum cried. She quickly motioned to the destruction that surrounded them. “Look around you! Look what you’ve done in the name of this-this Cause of yours! Is this the world that you want!? That your Cause wants?!”

Now Tarn was most assuredly insulted, and he balked at Electrum’s words, optics narrowing as his posture straightened. He clenched and unclenched his fists, appearing to try and keep his composure at having the Cause that he now served spoken so poorly of. Little did Electrum know, the masked mech was also honing in on her spark pulses as they tried to decipher just how upset she was.

Neither of them, however, expected what Tarn discovered next.

The faintest pulses of another spark, newly formed and barely audible, even to Tarn’s Ability. They emanated, soft and steady, from the lower half of Electrum’s midsection, and were obviously reliant on their carrier’s spark.

“You’ve murdered dozens in pursuit of-”

“Whose sparkling is it?”

Tarn’s icy question stopped Electrum mid-sentence, and she stared at the masked mech, speechless.

Sparkling? Sparkling!? The only sparkling she’d ever had was one that she’d lost. The sparking that had been her’s and Damus’s. She hadn’t even interfaced with anyone-

-except Lockdown.

A mix of fear and revulsion snaked up and clamped down on Electrum’s vocalizer, keeping her speechless. She stared up at Tarn, whose glare had deepened into a furious scowl. He took a step towards her, fists clenching as the tankformer obviously bristled. Electrum reflexively shuffled back, feeling pinned with the bench behind her and no real way to escape. She fought to find her voice, desperate to tell Tarn the truth before rage overtook them.

“I-I didn’t have a choice! He-he forced himself on me!” the femme cried, hugging herself tightly. “Lockdown! He-he-”

“Enough,” Tarn interrupted sharply with a cutting motion of his hand. “I...don’t need to hear any more.”

“Tarn, _Damus_ , please listen to me,” Electrum implored, shuffling back towards Tarn as the tankformer took a step back. “I didn’t know that he was going to...to do that to me!”

Again, Tarn was silent. He seemed to be thinking over what he was being told and what he had discovered, and with each passing moment, the masked mech seemed to be withdrawing. Watching him do so, watching him distance himself from Electrum, set a new sense of panic within the femme. Summoning up the last ounces of her courage, she took a step towards Tarn.

Much to her horror...the tankformer took a step back, his gaze now filled with distrust, hurt, and underlying anger.

“Damus, please, I-”

“Stop calling me that!” Tarn roared.

The sudden outburst silenced Electrum immediately, and her wings shot up in alarm. She started to say something in response, but her vocalizer refused to respond. The femme tried once again, but failed, and it took her a moment before she could find her voice.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, deflating in obvious defeat.

Electrum’s response seemed to catch Tarn a little off guard, and he studied her for a moment before sighing heavily and shaking his helm.

“As am I,” Tarn replied, his gaze drifting down to the ground. After a moment, he spoke again. “Perhaps...it is for the best that we were separated. And perhaps it is for the better, for both of us, that we remain so.”

Those words cut deeper than any of Tarn’s previous outbursts, and it felt like Electrum’s spark had plummeted into the cold pit that had formed in her core. She stood there, staring up at the masked mech with hurt disbelief, having not expected them to dismiss her so...nonchalantly.

Did she really mean so little to him now?

“How can you say that!?” Electrum demanded, balling up her fists as hurt anger took hold of her spark once again. “After everything we shared! After everything we went through!”

“Perhaps...fate was trying to tell us something, then,” Tarn said reluctantly, his gaze still downcast as the masked mech couldn’t bring himself to look at Electrum. “We...had our time together, Electrum, and it has left me with fond memories. But now, things have changed. Forever.”

Falling silent, not knowing what to say or do in the wake of Tarn’s dismissal, Electrum hugged herself gently. Defeat was weighing heavy on her now, mingled with the shock that she was now carrying Lockdown’s offspring, and the femme was left not knowing what to do. She hadn’t thought of any way on how to get back home, and now she found herself already abandoned by the one mech she had pinned her hopes on going with.

“I can...arrange for transport to take you back home, if you so choose,” Tarn offered tentatively.

“No,” Electrum replied, against her better judgment. “You’ve done enough, _Tarn_. Thank you.”

For a long moment, the two stood there in silence, neither knowing what to say or do. Neither of them had been truly prepared for this meeting, nor had either been prepared for the other to refuse their offer. Flecks of dust, gleaming like falling stars, drifted around them as a cold wind picked up. It coiled around them both, the icy tinge only adding to the discomfort between them.

Finally, though, Electrum looked up at Tarn, not bothering to hide the hurt or betrayal in her optics. She gave a short nod, feeling tears already threatening to brim over.

“Farewell.” It was the only word she could manage to get out.

Pivoting, Electrum began walking away as fast as she could from Tarn. Even though she heard the masked mech say something, calling out to her, Electrum ignored it. They had both said everything that needed to be said, and it had been more that Electrum wanted to hear or had been prepared for. So when she heard Tarn say something, this time a little louder, she broke into a full sprint. She couldn’t look at him, couldn’t speak to him, any more.

Running as fast as her pedes would carry her, wings flapping with the effort, Electrum blindly turned corners and sprinted down ruined streets. Her pedes hammering the ground echoed against the broken buildings, which, even in their crumbling state, towered over Electrum. Tears, pain, and anger blurred her vision, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t have a specific destination in mind. All she knew was that she had to get away. Get away from the monster that had once been her beloved Damus.

 

* * *

 

Electrum ran until the last of her energy reserves gave out.

When she could run no more, she staggered her way to the nearest pile of rubble that she could collapse onto. Her ventilation raced painfully, trying to cool her overheated frame, while her joints ached and reveled in the respite from running.

With a short grunt of effort, Electrum pulled herself up into a sitting position, resting her helm back as she let her gaze drift upwards. Her optics flicked back and forth as she looked over the stars that were just beginning to peek through the encroaching nightfall. Electrum didn’t know what she would do, alone in the middle of a destroyed warzone, but right now, she found that she didn’t really care. Her spark hurt too much from everything that had transpired for her to care.

So when a bright beam of light suddenly cut through the dusty dark and shone directly on her, Electrum sat bolt upright in alarm. Squinting her optics in a vain attempt to see through the blinding light, Electrum shielded her cerulean optics as best she could as she tried to make out details. Right now, all she could see was that the source of the light was a rather large ship that had landed and that it had lowered its docking bay ramp. A figure, shrouded by shadows from the light that emanated from behind them, stood still for a few moments, studying Electrum.

Too tired to move, Electrum stood her ground, optics still narrowed as the figure drew closer. The outline seemed vaguely familiar, but it wasn’t enough for the femme to be sure. Was it..? No, it couldn’t be. ...could it?

It was.

It was the last person that Electrum had expected, but it was them.

It was Alpha Trion.

Hand falling from her face as her optics widened in disbelief, Electrum slowly rose, not sure what to do. Surely Alpha Trion was angry with her. She had run off without permission in search of a mech that was now a wanted and known murderer. And if, by some miracle, Alpha Trion wasn’t angry with her, he most certainly would be upon learning what had happened to Electrum and what had been done.

...wouldn’t he?

“Alpha Trion?” Electrum called cautiously.

“Electrum!” the tall mech cried in relief, striding towards her quickly. “Thank Primus you’re safe!”

Stumbling forward, Electrum more or less collapsed against the larger mech. She clutched tightly at his robes, grateful for when he wrapped his arms around her, both embracing her and helping support her. Electrum tried to speak, but a hoarse sob cut her off as everything seemed to crash down on her. She cried softly, burying her face against Alpha Trion’s robes as she awaited what she believed to be the inevitable lecture that she deserved.

But there was no such lecture from Alpha Trion.

Instead, the mech began to stroke the back of her helm gently, crooning quiet nothings to Electrum to try and soothe her upset. He stood still, letting Electrum cling to him as she openly wept. He didn’t speak for a few moments, waiting for the femme to quiet enough for her to speak.

“I’m-I’m sorry,” Electrum whispered hoarsely. “I-I didn’t-”

“Sh, sh,” Alpha Trion shushed softly. He continued to stroke the back of Electrum’s helm, continuing to try and calm her. “There will be time for apologies later. Right now, I am relieved to see that you’re safe and unharmed. I feared the worst when I found out where you had gone to.”

While a small part of Electrum was curious as to how Alpha Trion knew where she was, the femme decided that it really wasn’t worth wondering about. Not any more. She was incredibly lucky to have been found at all, especially by Alpha Trion. Even if she was in trouble, Electrum now had a way to get safely home. She could leave this destroyed place, and all the painful memories that it held, behind her.

“I just...I just want to go home,” Electrum whispered.

“Yes. That’s why I’m here,” Alpha Trion agreed with a nod. “To take you home.”

With that, the mech helped guide Electrum into the waiting ship. They walked up the ramp, Alpha Trion helping to steady Electrum with every step. Once they were safely inside the ship, Electrum turned to look back at the destruction she was escaping. But something else caught her gaze…

Out in the distance, barely visible, was the visage of a masked tankformer. The same one that Electrum had fled from. The one that now called themselves Tarn.

Sighing, Electrum steadied herself, looking back at the masked mech until the docking bay ramp closed. As the ship rose, Tarn felt his spark pulse with morose longing. His heaven was out of reach, but still left passion in his spark.

The two could only hope to meet again in the uncertain future.


End file.
